Dragonball: A Saiyan's Family
by rimera
Summary: Based on a story idea by mellra, sequel to A Saiyan's Family. Goku wished for his family back on the Dragon Balls, and that changed everything. Now there is hope for the Saiyan race, but will they be strong enough to escape extinction with enemies coming from all sides? And what about the humans? Written in the form of episodes, rated M for adult themes, but no citrus!
1. Decisions, Part 1

**A/N: Welcome back, beloved readers! If you haven't read A Saiyan's Family, I do suggest reading it, but I'll try to add in enough context so you can still understand this story, even if you haven't. This story will be in the form of episodes, with each episode having two chapters (unless they're really big, important episodes, those might have four).**

 **For those of you who haven't read the first fic, or would like a bit of a recap, here's the short version: Goku made a wish on the dragon balls, and got his family back. Because of that, events happened a little differently, leading ultimately to everyone in the universe with Saiyan blood getting wished to Earth, Kami making Krillin and Upa Guardians of the Earth (at the cost of his own life), and the battle with Frieza taking place on Earth, which Vegeta and his royal guard Kakarot finally won. The Ox Kingdom has allied with the Saiyans, and has grown considerably. The humans in other parts of the world have understandably mixed feelings about the Saiyans. And many of their enemies are still out there…**

 **EPISODE 1, PART 1**

 **DECISIONS**

The Ox Kingdom, on first glance, seemed like nothing but farm land, as far as the eye could see. Indeed, if you were walking along the winding roads to where the Ox Kingdom was said to be located, you'd wonder where all the houses were, you'd wonder who tended the freshly tilled farms you were passing, who milked the cows you saw in the pasture, who fed the chickens you could hear clucking in the distance? But, if you followed those winding roads, you'd come to see that the Ox Kingdom was right there, the whole time. And it was _massive._

In the center of all that farmland was a deep crater, impossibly deep, practically a canyon. It was perfectly round, as though it had been literally carved out of the earth, and the walls of it were riddled with holes, which closer inspection would show to be windows and doors. The winding roads sloped down into the canyon in spirals, inevitably leading to the very bottom, which was covered in rows of booths that spanned inward towards a single point. Standing in the middle of that point was a large arena, made half of heavy gray stones, and half of black obsidian. The half of it that was obsidian, came up on the edge to form one tower, and on the other side the gray stone came up to form another. The whole thing looked like two castles at war with each other. In truth, there were two castles… but the kings who resided in them were strong allies.

King Vegeta and the Saiyan people had been taken in by the Ox Kingdom when they first arrived on Earth, and had once had their own village, but it had quickly become apparent after their village was destroyed that there was no real point in separating the Saiyans from the people of the Ox Kingdom; they needed each other, relied on each other. Their cultures had become intertwined, so after Frieza's forces attacked the earth one month ago, the architect who had created the now destroyed Saiyan Village began a new project, one that expressed how closely knit the two cultures really were.

This relationship was embodied in the architect's son, who was currently sitting on the ground on the edge of the great canyon, looking down at his father's work. It always amazed Beet how his father was able to make something as simple as a building, express the spirit of the people living inside it. He wished he could express himself that way; his father, the gruff warrior that he was, was a genius when it came to architecture. Beet was lucky if he could make one brick sit atop another.

It wasn't that Beet was unskilled. He was a good fighter, showing a natural talent and a high power level from an early age. His grandfather had been quite proud of him in that respect, as was his father. He was intelligent enough; his mother, on her gentle days, would often drill him in math, science, and literature, and he was able to hold his own, despite his rather spotty education. But in none of it did he ever really _express_ himself. None of it was really _him_. He fought, because he was a Saiyan, and he had to fight. He learned, because mother insisted he learn. But he was only really doing what he was told. He wasn't _passionate_ about any of it. Not like his father was about architecture, or his uncle Kakarot was about fighting.

And yet… _and yet_. His passion, hadn't that been what had caused him to do it? This place, this crater that his people now called home… it wasn't that different from the crater that was left of West City, was it? If he wasn't passionate about fighting, then why had he done it? A whole city of people, of lives, had they all been snuffed out because of something he wasn't even passionate about?

"You missed my training," a voice said from behind him, and Beet jumped slightly, glancing up to see Saru standing behind him. The mustached priest sat down next to him, arranging his robes neatly so as not to put undue pressure on his mangled tail. Beet kept his eyes respectfully away as he did; the priest could be a bit sensitive about his tail. Any Saiyan would be.

"Sorry, Saru," Beet said, his dark hair falling into his eyes again. He didn't really care; it hid the fact that he'd been crying again, something he'd rather die than be caught doing by another Saiyan. "Lost track of time," he said, keeping his voice even. All the cubs were supposed to meet with Saru first thing after breakfast, for his 'training', which was nothing but a lecture about the War Path, the ancient Saiyan religion lost to time. Saru had recently decided to indoctrinate the cubs as much as possible, in hopes that they would avoid the mistakes that nearly led to their species' extinction.

"It's my experience," Saru said after a moment of silence, "that the ones who need guidance most, are the least likely to seek it out."

Beet swallowed hard. "No offense, Saru… but the War Path probably says I did the right thing," he said, trying in vain to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

Pain blossomed in the back of his head, and Beet realized that Saru had just smacked him. He hadn't even seen the man move! "No, you idiot, the War Path says you're a moron. You really _don't_ listen to my lectures, do you?" he accused, causing Beet to wince. The older Saiyan sighed. "The people of West City were weak. They barely put up a fight. The War Path says, to kill an unworthy adversary is to rob yourself of the worthy adversary they may one day become. There's honor in killing an enemy that is your equal. What you did was… what's the human expression your mother uses? Shooting fish in a box?"

"A barrel," Beet said, feeling as though Saru had punched him with his words. He looked away, desperate not to cry again. "Then what does the War Path say I should do now?" he asked, his throat tight.

Saru narrowed his eyes. "Sorry, cub, my ancestors didn't think of any pearls of wisdom for sulking half-human cubs. Trouble with you hybrids is, you don't get bloodthirsty. If you did, you'd be over this by now. At least you're still young… better to make your mistakes when you're young, learn from them before you can do any _real_ damage," he said, standing up. "My advice? Get up, dust yourself off, and go _do_ something. In the end, that's all you really _can_ do," he said, and with that, he walked away.

Beet watched him go, frowning. He was right. It was time to _do_ something. He stood up, and looked up into the clear blue sky.

It had been one month now, one month since Beet had lost control, and destroyed the city he was trying to protect. The Guardians of the Earth had told him to come to them in one month. It was time to see once and for all, if there was anything he could do to make up for what he'd done.

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East City was still rebuilding after what the world was calling the Great Alien Invasion. Detours had been built to replace the highways that used to run into the city, and many buildings were still in ruins. It was in one of these ruins that two children were playing a game of tag. Laughter echoed through the empty abandoned office building, as the dark haired boy stopped in a hallway, scowling. "I'm gonna find you, Lazuli! You can't hide forever!"

His protests only brought about more laughter, and the scurrying of feet. "You couldn't find water in the ocean!" came his sister's taunting, and Lapis smirked, following the direction the sound came from. All he had to do was keep acting like he didn't know where she was, and…

Suddenly, something heavy hit him from behind, and he fell to the ground, pinned underneath a giggling blonde-haired girl. "Gotcha!" she sing-songed.

Lapis scowled up at her. "You dummy! You're supposed to hide, I'm supposed to find you… that's how hide and seek works!" he protested.

Lazuli shrugged as she got off of his back. "I got bored waiting for you to find me. I kept leaving you hints and everything. You're the dummy!" she retorted.

"I was waiting to make my move!" Lapis argued back, to which Lazuli merely rolled her eyes.

"You know… neither one of you are any good at hide and seek," a voice said from nearby, and both children spun around to see a woman with curly purple hair, wearing a black trench coat with a strange red symbol on it. Instinctively, the two twins drew close to each other, backing away. The woman smiled patiently. "Don't worry… I'm not here to hurt you. I'm hiding, too," she said conspiratorially, and the two children glanced at each other dubiously.

"What are you hiding from?" Lapis asked, wondering why a grown-up would need to hide… and not really wanting to know the answer.

The woman frowned slightly. "Aliens," she said darkly.

"The aliens all got killed," Lazuli pointed out. "The soldiers said it was safe now."

The purple-haired woman fixed her dark blue eyes on Lazuli's ice-blue ones. "Not all of the aliens are dead. There's still the Saiyans," she said, scowling. "And they're the worst of them all."

Suddenly, Lapis grinned. "Well, don't worry, we won't tell where you're hiding. Right, sis?" he asked, his hand surreptitiously grasping hers.

Lazuli's eyes widened. "Right! Your secret's safe with us," she said, smiling.

In the next instant, the two bolted away, splitting up, and in no time, they were gone.

Eleven watched the street urchins go, musing to herself. Yes… those two were _perfect…_

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Master Roshi gazed at the shapely bosom of the beautiful brunette laid out in front of him, unknowingly drooling a little on his shirt. In the distance, he could hear his two students sparring. Well, _students_ was a loosely applied term. Those two had surpassed him in speed, strength, and skill… one would think they had no more to learn from the old martial arts master. But then… if _that's_ all it took to master martial arts, there would be many more masters than there were…

There was a lot those two needed to learn, still, but it wasn't the sort of thing one could sit down and learn in one day. And those two weren't training for a martial arts tournament… no, they were training for something bigger. And they would only learn what they needed to learn by facing it.

And yet, Krillin, _his student_ Krillin, had the nerve to ask him to take on more students? Didn't becoming the Guardian of Earth come with enough sense for him to know Roshi was _a retired old man?_ He should be on his island, looking at dirty magazines, drinking himself silly, not going on a _recruitment drive_ …

Master Roshi sighed. He couldn't even really enjoy Miss February without thinking about it, it seemed. With a sigh of resignation, he took a deep breath, and let out a whistle so loud, the animals in the trees nearby scattered. The sounds of fighting ceased, and shortly two young men stood before him. The one with black hair and innocent looking eyes spoke. "Master Roshi, you know you don't have to whistle like that, my hearing is exceptional, I could have heard you if you just spoke our names quietly," he said ruefully, bringing a hand to his head. "My ears are still ringing," he complained.

Master Roshi's eyebrows shot up. "You mean, you were listening in on me, when…"

The other man, the bald one with three eyes, looked away studiously, his cheeks turning uncharacteristically red. The black haired man seemed non-plussed, however. "When what? Oh, when you were masturbating? Or when you were defecating? I just ignore all your grunting sounds altogether, Master," he assured the old man, then paused at the mortified looks he received from both Master Roshi and Tienshinhan. "Oh. Looks like I'm missing a social interaction file," he said, looking down self-consciously.

Tienshinhan placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Twelve. Not a big deal," he said, causing the man to look up at him. "We don't talk about Master Roshi's grunting. File added, we move on, right?" he said softly.

Twelve grinned. "Yeah, file added," he said, then turned his attention to Master Roshi as Tien's hand fell away. "What's up, Master Roshi?" he asked, as though nothing had happened.

Master Roshi blinked behind his sunglasses, suppressing a sigh. As much as the young man before him looked like Yamcha, and sounded like Yamcha, and usually acted like Yamcha, it was hard not to remember that Yamcha, the real Yamcha, was actually gone. Well… _technically_ gone. Dr. Gero had committed murder, plain and simple, by turning Yamcha into an android. But the poor man wanted so badly to be his former self, to hold on to what remained of his humanity, that small reminders like this that he was, in fact, a machine, tore at his mechanically-altered heart. It was easy for Tienshinhan, who had only known him as an android; for those who knew him back when he was Yamcha, it was like living with the ghost of their old friend.

Realizing he was staring again, Master Roshi cleared his throat. "Tien, has Chiaotzu come back yet from North City?" he asked.

Tien scowled. "Not yet, Master, but he called yesterday, and said he'd probably arrive sometime this afternoon. He'd found some potential students, but he wanted to wait an extra day, said there was something that needed taken care of there, and not to worry," he grumbled. He didn't like Chiaotzu going off on his own, but he had wanted to do it, and his smaller size made it easier for him to blend in.

Master Roshi sighed. "Okay. Then I'm putting you two in charge," he said with a nod, then turned back to the side of the house, where the encapsulation panel was. He pressed the button, causing the pink house to instantly collapse into a capsule with a loud bang.

The two younger men's eyes went wide. "You're leaving?" Twelve asked, surprised.

Tien was scowling. "You're not leaving us to train those kids ourselves, are you?" he asked incredulously.

"I'm over 300 years old! I've been teaching martial arts since before your grandparents were in diapers! You two are grown men, ain't ya? Consider this a part of your training, then. The best way to learn is to teach. You two teach those kids about hard work, perseverance, and humility. You've both taken my training. Show them what you've learned. If you have any questions… you know where to find me," he said, picking up the capsule that was his house from the ground. He then glanced up at the Tower of Korin, and shouted up at the sky. "And if you two got a problem with that, you can bite me!" he yelled, shaking his fist. He then turned the opposite way, and took a deep breath. "COME TO ME, BABY GAMERA!" he yelled.

Twelve frowned. "Baby Gamera? What's that?" he asked.

Tien shook his head. "I don't know. I think the old man's finally lost it," he sighed, just as they saw something in the distance, approaching very fast. As it got closer, they could see it was a large spinning turtle… with fire coming from its feet? The turtle landed before they could get a closer look, poking its head out at Master Roshi. When it opened its mouth, a harsh sound emerged, sounding like large rocks being scraped together.

Master Roshi smiled. "Thanks, Baby Gamera," he said, climbing onto the turtle's bumpy back. He leveled his gaze at Tien and Twelve. "You two be good. Try not to start any wars, if you can manage it. If you'll excuse me, I've got my retirement to get back to," he said, and patted the turtle on its shell. "Take me back home, Baby Gamera," he said. Suddenly, the strange turtle took to the air, fire coming from its shell, and it began to spin so quickly that Master Roshi looked as though he wasn't even spinning at all. In seconds it was gone, disappearing off into the distance.

Tien sighed. "Well… I guess that means we're teachers now," he said, frowning.

"We can do it," Twelve said, grinning. "It can't be that hard. All Master Roshi did was sit there and read magazines the whole time Krillin and I trained. All we need is some land to till, some milk to deliver, and some really heavy turtle shells," he said, and his face fell. "Oh, I guess Master Roshi took the turtle shells with him," he said, frowning.

Suddenly, they could feel the pressure of energy nearby, and a number of turtle shells appeared out of nowhere, lying on the ground near the base of the tower. The two men glanced at each other, and Twelve picked one up. "Fifty pounds," he said, then glanced at one of the two larger ones, that had appeared off to the side. Walking over to one, he picked it up. "One ton. I think these two are meant for us," he said, handing it to Tien.

Tien glanced at the turtle shells, then back up at the tower. "You know, it's weird when you guys do that," he said towards the Guardians obviously responsible. His expression softened. "But thanks," he said softly, and looked back at the turtle shell Twelve was handing him. As he hefted the heavy shell onto his back, he sighed. "If Master Crane could see me now…" he muttered sardonically.

Twelve slipped the other shell onto his back. "Would he have preferred you wear a hat with a bird on it?" he asked, as his body compensated for the added weight.

"He would have preferred I didn't join forces with his arch rival," he grumbled, "much less accept training from him. And now I'm going to be teaching at his rival's school. I know his ways were wrong, but… I still feel like a traitor," he murmured.

"But you aren't," Twelve pointed out. "Crane and Roshi might have started out as rivals, but in the end, they both did what they did to protect the Earth. And that's what you're doing right now," he said, looking the man over. "It was the same with Dr. Gero. What he did to me was wrong, but he did it for good reasons. If we're doing something good for those same reasons… then we're not really betraying them. We're just finding a better way to fulfill their goals," he said, shrugging. "At least, that's the logic that lets me get around his primary programming," he added with a smirk.

Tien laughed at that. "Primary programming, huh? Yeah… I guess I could do without some of my primary programming, too, then. Come on, spar with me. I wanna see if we can still move with these things on our backs. Won't do any good if the students see us falling over ourselves," he said, getting into battle stance.

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Krillin was looking over the edge of the Lookout, smiling softly to himself. Shortly the adolescent Guardian was joined by a much taller adolescent Guardian. "They're starting the school?" Upa asked, looking over the edge himself.

"Yeah. Master Roshi's letting Yamcha and Tien take over. Can't say I didn't see that coming," he chuckled.

Upa blinked, then looked away and to their right. "We have a visitor," he said, causing Krillin to glance in that direction. Upa smiled. "Right on time," he said softly.

As they watched, Beet landed on the stone floor of the Lookout, his eyes seeking them out instantly. The pain he felt was obvious to the two Guardians, who cast him the same sympathetic gaze. Beet stepped forward bravely, scowling. The boy was tall for his age, and carried himself like a warrior, which caused him to be quite intimidating. "I'm here to see what I can do about West City," he said, his expression fierce.

As one, the two Guardians stepped forward, walking towards him. They regarded him for a long moment, reading his thoughts. Then, Krillin spoke. "There is a way that what was done can be undone," he said.

Beet's eyes widened, and a hint of a smile appeared. "Really?" he asked hopefully.

"But," Upa added, holding up a hand, "the knowledge of it must be kept secret. It will require a journey on your part, that may take a long time, and no one may know what you are doing, or where you are going," he warned.

Beet scowled. "That doesn't make any sense. My people know how to use Instant Transmission. If they want, they can just focus on my energy and find me," he said.

"We can teach you how to hide your energy, so no one can sense you," Krillin said. "As for the rest, though… you have to promise first that no one else will learn what we tell you," he said, and scowled. "Especially not King Vegeta."

Beet's eyes went wide again, and he took a step back. "You… you want me to keep a secret from the _king_?!" he asked, and some of what his father had told him before, after the battle at West City, came back to him. Raditz had told his son that things like this were not for him to decide. That matters of war were to be left to their leaders, that their job was only to follow their orders. Beet had thought at the time that such advice was cowardly. But now, faced with this… "You're talking about treason," he said softly. His eyes were hard. "This secret you want me to keep… is it something King Vegeta would want to know? Something he'd be upset if I kept from him?" he asked.

Upa frowned, and nodded. "That much we can tell you."

Beet's eyes filled with tears, and he looked away. His heart was torn. What he had done… he would give anything to undo it. But… could he commit treason to do it? Was keeping valuable information from his king really that bad of a thing? It wasn't as though he was doing what Ruta did, harboring a dangerous creature in their midst, helping it murder people. "Will keeping this a secret hurt my people?" he asked, not looking at the two Guardians.

"It's not our intention to hurt anyone, Beet. We're trying to stop a war, not start one," Krillin replied, but Beet turned on him, glaring.

"That isn't an answer! You're asking me to commit treason. Tell me the truth… if I do this, will it hurt my people?" he insisted.

Krillin met his eyes. "Not if you protect this secret, as we do. Not if this knowledge doesn't fall into the wrong hands," he said.

His father's words filtered into his mind. This decision was too big for him. But…

"We'll give you the day to think it over," Upa said softly, earning a sharp glance from the cub. "Take some time, and clear your mind. Focus on what's truly important. We will await your answer tomorrow," he advised.

Beet sighed, and gave them a short nod. Then, he took to the air, and flew off, back towards the Ox Kingdom.

 **A/N: Okay, guys, that's part one. I'll try to get part two up this weekend, but if not, it'll be next weekend. As always, I welcome your questions, and especially your suggestions, via PM. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for part two!**


	2. Decisions, Part 2

**EPISODE ONE, PART TWO**

 **DECISIONS**

Beet walked the winding roads of the Ox Kingdom, distractedly looking for one ki signature in particular. King Vegeta had told everyone that Instant Transmission was not to be done within the walls of the kingdom anymore, when Duri had come to deliver a report to the king, and accidentally appeared while he and the queen were mating. Saiyans had a very good sense of smell, and could usually tell when someone was mating, and knew to stay away… but Instant Transmission bypassed all of that, taking you directly to your target. As much of a taboo subject that mating was among Saiyans, poor Duri was even more repressed, being half Elvari, which apparently was a race of peaceful healers who never scratched their butts or walked around naked. Needless to say, he had been mortified, and his mate, who was an Instant Transmission expert, still had yet to get him to try it again.

And so, Beet walked through the crowded streets, ignoring vendors trying to sell their wares. He received kind smiles from the people who passed him, and did his best to smile back, to hide the turmoil within. The people of the Ox Kingdom tended to treat all the Saiyans well out of a genuine kindness, not out of fear like one would think. It was one of the strange ironies of life; they were ten times as strong as these humans, a race of warriors whose way of life was to fight until they were the strongest, whose pride was the most important thing to them, and yet this community of farmers had welcomed them with open arms, unafraid, even when the rest of their species seemed to fear and even resent them. Their king was a warrior, as had been their princess, Beet's Aunt Chi-chi. His father once told him that warriors and farmers were both simple folk, and that's why they seemed to get along so well. Then again, it might have something to do with the fact that the prince of the Ox Kingdom was half-Saiyan…

The smell of food washed over him as he got closer to the ki signature, and Beet smiled. " _Of course_ ," he murmured to himself as he found himself in front of Matou's. The large mess hall was built into the walls of the arena, and Beet's stomach reminded him it was close to time for the noonday meal. And if _he_ was hungry, it went without saying that the person he was looking for would be _ravenous_.

His suspicions were confirmed as he stepped into the large mess hall, its long tables partially laden with hot, steaming cuts of meat, whole roasted vegetables, loaves of bread, and pots of broth. Matou didn't like it when anyone came in before everything was ready, but there were exceptions to his rule; one of which was Uncle Kakarot, sitting at one of the tables, wolfing down his food. Beet felt something nudge him on his left, and looked to see another cub standing there, smirking, with a butcher knife strapped securely to his belt. He had black hair that spiked forward, and stood up to Beet's shoulders, though by his stance you might think he was a full head taller. "You missed lecture this morning," Baga snickered. "He spent the whole time goin' on and on about hybrids needin' ta get in touch with their instincts," he said, rolling his eyes.

Beet smirked back. Technically Baga was his uncle, too, as he was his father's youngest brother, but since they were born around the same time, they were raised like brothers instead of uncle and nephew. It was often like that in Saiyan families, as they tended to live for a long time, and spend most of their lives in their prime. If his grandparents were still alive, they might still be having cubs even now. "He came to deliver it to me in person," he replied, and watched his other uncle from afar.

Baga followed his look, and his eyes widened. "You gonna try'n do it _today_?" he asked, his voice a mere whisper.

Beet swallowed hard. "I gotta," he said softly. He hadn't been on speaking terms with his uncle Kakarot since the invasion, since Beet had destroyed West City. His father had told him to stay out of it, that he would take responsibility for what had happened, and his uncle had thoroughly kicked his father's ass, but it didn't change anything between _them_. Uncle Kakarot wouldn't look at him, and Beet had been too afraid to broach the subject. But now… now he needed his uncle's advice, more than ever. It was time to face the music.

Baga sighed. "At least wait until he's done eating. You know how Kaka gets if he can't finish his meal," he said, and snagged one of Matou's sweet breads off a table. "And eat this, you'll need all your energy, 'cause Kaka's gonna pound you senseless," he said, handing the bread to Beet as he glanced at the kitchen. "Gotta go, soup's on simmer. If you're still alive, let me know how it goes," he said, and his tail gently brushed up against Beet's.

Beet returned the gesture, sending Baga a grateful glance as he bit into the sweet bread. Matou's cooking was the best on the planet, as far as Beet could tell, though Baga was getting pretty good himself, and some of his creations were so good, King Vegeta actually preferred them. His father made sure to put Baga through his paces, and put pressure on him to get stronger, but he didn't interfere with Baga's training as a chef. It was what Baga was passionate about, after all. Beet envied him that.

Heeding Baga's advice, Beet leaned against the wall, devouring his sweet bread, and waited patiently for his uncle Kakarot to finish. He knew better than to try to come back later; since his uncle was the king's Royal Guard, he spent most of the night protecting the king and queen in their sleep, which meant he did _his_ sleeping during the day.

At no time did Kakarot look up at him, but when he finished and got up to leave, Beet could tell by the way he walked out that he was fully aware of his presence, and that he fully expected Beet to follow him. The cub swallowed hard. It was now or never…

Once Beet stepped outside, Kakarot took to the air, and Beet understood the meaning. He also lifted himself into the air, flying after his uncle, to wherever the man decided would be a good spot. In a way, Beet was relieved that at least they wouldn't be handling this in the arena, where others could see them. He knew his uncle wouldn't do that, wouldn't publicly humiliate him to prove a point, any more than he would actually kill him, despite Baga's words to the contrary. Although, he was certain he wouldn't be getting out of this without a scratch…

When Kakarot landed in what looked like a barren wasteland, Beet landed behind him, not far away, but well enough away as to give him a few seconds to block a sudden attack. He knew his uncle would not start this… he knew he would have to. He remembered Saru's words… it was time to do something.

"I'm the one who destroyed West City," he said, scowling as he looked down in shame. "But you already knew that."

"I did," Kakarot said, the first words he'd said to Beet in a month. Beet swallowed.

"I won't make excuses, Uncle Kakarot. I lost control, that's no one's fault but my own. But I don't take it lightly. I can't stop thinkin' about it…" he said, hot tears streaming down his face unbidden.

Kakarot turned towards him, his gaze intense, seeming to bore into his very soul. "What are you going to _do_ about it, Beet?" he asked, in a tone that demanded total honesty.

Beet met his uncle's eyes. "I wanna take responsibility for what I did. I wanna make things right again," he said, frowning.

Kakarot levelled a gaze at him. "Your father already took responsibility for your actions," he said.

Beet scowled. "That stops now! I'm the one who did what I did, and I gotta live with it. No one can take responsibility for what I do but me!" he shouted.

Suddenly, his world became pain as his uncle's fist drove into his stomach, and Beet doubled over, desperately trying to catch his breath, as his uncle stood behind him. "Look around, Beet. Where are we?" he asked, and Beet's eyes widened in horror.

" _No_ …" he whispered, and his uncle circled him, so that he was facing him.

"Fight me, Beet. I want you to go Super Saiyan, right now," Kakarot said, his eyes narrowed at the boy. "You lost control here last time you were a Super Saiyan. You're gonna do it again, only this time, you're gonna stay in control. Got it?" he asked warningly.

Beet's eyes were wide. "Not… not _here…_ " he breathed, backing away. "Please Uncle Kaka, not _here…_ "

Kakarot's eyes hardened. "Yes, here. You said you want to take responsibility. To face what you did. Then face it!" he growled, raising his ki. Suddenly, his hair turned golden, his eyes turned teal. "Do it _now_ , Beet. If you don't face this now, it will haunt you for the rest of your life. Trust me, I know. Now, do it, or I'll attack anyway!" he warned.

Tears streamed down Beet's face, as he forced his ki up. It wasn't hard… all the emotional turmoil he'd been feeling for the past month, he'd had to fight to keep himself _from_ turning Super Saiyan, doing so now was almost a relief. But with it…

Filled with anger and rage, he threw himself at his uncle, and the ground around them shook as the two sparred for well over an hour. Back and forth they traded blows, Beet completely throwing himself into the battle, Kakarot allowing him to expend his energy, keeping his own movements strategic, but devastating. In one decisive move, Kakarot slammed his fist down onto the back of Beet's neck, sending the boy crashing to the ground. When Beet didn't get up right away, he lowered his ki, his hair turning black once more, and he watched his nephew carefully. The boy's body was shaking, and he could tell Beet was crying, and trying not to. He merely waited, watching with his arms crossed, until the boy's long hair turned from golden to black. Only then did he step forward, and hold out his hand.

Beet gazed up at his uncle, at his outstretched hand, and took it, letting his uncle haul him back to his feet. Desperately he tried to stop crying, but his uncle was holding him close now, and he could feel a sense of calm acceptance wash over him as Kakarot's tail brushed against his. He didn't know how long they stood like that, but when his sobs subsided, he heard his uncle murmur, "I'm proud of you, Beet." Then he pulled away, gently wiping the tears from his nephew's face. "Now, why don't you tell me what's really going on?" he asked softly.

Beet's eyes widened. How much did his uncle know?

"Your father told me you went to the Lookout today. You don't really think you can just disappear from home without anyone noticing, do you?" Kakarot asked, eyebrow raised.

Beet sighed, frowning. "They told me not to tell," he said softly. He swallowed. "Uncle Kaka, Papa told me once that you killed your grandpa, and tried to bring him back," he said nervously. "Is that right?" he asked. He knew this wouldn't be a pleasant subject, but it was why he'd sought out his uncle. He, out of anyone, was the only person he knew who could truly understand the position he'd found himself in.

Kakarot sighed, looking off into the distance. "Yeah. Though… I didn't know it at the time. That I'd killed my Grandpa, I mean," he said softly. He smiled. "Lucky for me, the dragon knew more about me than I knew about myself. He brought me back my real family, instead," he said, regarding his nephew. "If he hadn't, you wouldn't have been born."

Beet bit his lip. "If someone gave you a way to bring him back, without having to give up the rest of us… would you?" he asked. At his uncle's look, he lowered his eyes. "Please, Uncle Kaka… I need to know."

Kakarot regarded his nephew for a long moment. "It's different for me, Beet. I talked to him… well, a version of him, on Saru's planet. My Grandpa did his best to raise me, and he took a risk, but in the end, it takes a Saiyan to really raise a Saiyan. I wish I hadn't trampled him to death, but bringin' him back won't make what I did go away," he said with a sigh. He looked closely at Beet. "What did Krillin and Upa say?" he asked.

"That there might be somethin' I can do to fix this. But… if they tell me…" Beet frowned. "If they tell me, I can't tell no one, not even King Vegeta," he said finally.

Kakarot sighed. "Krillin, you idiot," he muttered up at the sky, then glanced over at Beet. "You're worried about making the same mistake Ruta made, huh?" he asked.

Beet nodded. "I love my people, Uncle Kaka… I wouldn't do anything to hurt 'em. I ain't tryin' to betray the King, either. I just… these people didn't deserve what I did to 'em. I know I can never take away the fact that I did it… but, if there's some way to save 'em… I owe it to 'em, don't I?" he asked.

Kakarot smirked. "Beet, my Mama and Papa were very loyal to the King, and I'd give my life for him, he knows that full well. But he ain't a god… sometimes, he's an idiot. He's just like any of us, except he's the one stuck ruling all of our crazy asses. We're damn lucky to have him, but that don't mean we're always gonna make him happy. Sometimes we're gonna do shit to piss him off… and sometimes, it's shit that needs to be done. Your papa gave you some good advice, but if you can't follow it, I've got some bad advice for ya. At the end of everything, when it's all said and done, it ain't your king that's gotta pay for all the stuff you did wrong in life… it's you. Whether you did somethin' bad out of loyalty, or did somethin' good out of treason, all that's gonna matter is what you did, not why you did it. If your king is worth your loyalty, he ain't gonna be that broken up about you doin' the right thing. And, if he is… then take your lumps and move on, knowing you did the right thing. He's gotta face up to what he did in the end, too," he said, shrugging. "That being said, you gotta be real smart if you're gonna go off on your own. Smarter than you are now. If it hadn't been for my Uncle Turles bein' with me out there, I woulda died for sure. Find someone who'll look out for your best interests, even if it ain't what you want. And be ready to be wrong. A _lot._ 'Cause if whatever plan Krillin's got backfires, you'll be takin' responsibility for that, too," he said, scratching the back of his head. "I think that's all I got," he said.

Beet grinned. "Thanks, Uncle Kakarot," he said, and his uncle placed a hand on his head.

"We're family, Beet. Ain't nothin' gonna change that, ever. But you know, if this happens again…" Kakarot said grimly.

Beet met his eyes. "It won't, Uncle Kaka. I swear it. I won't stop until I have full control, even when I'm Super Saiyan. And if it ever does…" he said, and trailed off, as the two traded a look.

Kakarot gave him a single nod, and smirked. "Get back home. Your Papa will worry, and you know he won't count this as trainin'," he said, and yawned. "Besides, it's my bedtime," he said, stretching.

"Yes, sir," Beet said, and quickly flew off. He hurt everywhere, but inside, he felt better than he had in a long time…

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Ten kids of various ages stood before the tower that afternoon, each wearing a turtle shell on their backs. One kid was having a lot of trouble standing up, and most of them were whining or complaining. Chiaotzu looked up at Tienshinhan, wearing a similar shell on his own back. "I don't think they like them very much," the pale boy said.

Tien narrowed his eyes. "It doesn't matter what they like," he said, stepping forward. "Who here wants to give up and go home?" he asked.

The children looked at each other, and the oldest said, "We ain't got a home, Master Tien. We're orphans," he said, and the other kids nodded.

Tien grunted, then glanced at Chiaotzu, who shrugged. With a sigh, he said, "If that's the case, then you know more than anyone that nothing worth having in life is just gonna be handed to you. You've got to work hard to get what you want. You've got to _fight_ for it. You've got to be strong enough to take care of yourself, or you leave yourselves at the mercy of whoever wants to take advantage of you," he said, scowling. "We'll teach you everything you need to know about how to protect yourselves and those you care about. But you've got to do your part. It will take hard work, and you can't quit, not ever. But if you give it all you've got, and _then_ some, then none of you will ever have to depend on anyone else, ever again," he said.

A little girl raised her hand, and Tien glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. "Master Tien, I gotta pee…" she said, tugging on the hem of her dress and biting her lip.

Tienshinhan closed all three eyes, and turned to Twelve. "Your turn," he said, and walked off, shaking his head ruefully.

Twelve blinked, then looked to the students, who were looking at him expectantly. "Uh… right. Okay. Bathroom breaks?" he asked, and ten hands immediately came up.

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Lazuli gazed at the mannequin in the shop window. It was a little girl, close to her size, wearing black tights, a pink belted shirt, and a black vest. Beside her, her brother sighed, rolling his eyes. "Clothes again? Don't you remember the trouble we got into last time we got caught shoplifting here? They got our pictures up now! All you're gonna do is throw them away the second you find something prettier," Lapis complained.

"It's bad hygiene not to change your clothes from time to time," Lazuli pointed out. "Besides, don't you get tired of wearing the same stuff all the time?" she asked.

Lapis scowled. "No. I like these clothes. They're broken in," he said.

"Broken is right," Lazuli snickered, pointing to one of the many holes in his shirt. "Come on, Lapis. We can't look like street rats, or we'll get picked up for sure. You don't want to end up in some orphanage, do you?" she asked.

"Orphanage, or jail. Tough sell, sis," he retorted, rolling his eyes.

"I'm inclined to agree with your sister. You could both use a change of clothes," a familiar voice said, and the two spun around to see the creepy lady from the office building earlier. The twins scowled, backing away, but all the woman did was sit down on a nearby bench, her black trench coat opening to reveal a white nurse's uniform underneath.

"Why are you following us?" Lapis demanded, standing slightly in front of his sister.

The woman sighed. "Because I need you. You're small, and fast, and can slip in and out of places like this without getting caught," she said, gesturing to the department store they'd been looking at. "I would like to hire the two of you. You work for me, and I can make sure you have hot food, warm beds, and nice clothes," she said, casting them a tired look. "What do you say?"

Lazuli frowned. "If we decide we like our freedom?" she asked distrustfully.

The woman shrugged. "Then I'll feed off your life energy and use your lifeless bodies for my experiments," she said nonchalantly.

The two children stared at the woman for a long moment. Whatever they were about to say was interrupted by a man in a suit with a briefcase, sitting on the bench beside the woman, obviously to wait for the bus. The woman fixed her eyes on the two children, then opened one of her hands. They could see some sort of strange red circle on her hand, as though she had some kind of glass ball embedded in it. Stretching her hand out, she placed it on the man's chest. He gasped, and his eyes began to droop. In no time, he had fallen asleep, but the woman kept her hand there. "His heart is slowing down, children," she said softly, flicking her eyes to them. "Do you want to feel it stop?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

The twins' eyes were wide as they looked on in horror. Suddenly, the woman frowned. "Too late. He's dead," she said, and reached into the man's jacket. Pulling out a wallet, she retrieved a fair amount of zenni, and held it out to them. "Consider this a sign-on incentive. Go on, take it," she said, smiling.

Lapis glanced at his sister, then stepped forward bravely, taking the zenni.

"Good boy," the woman said, placing the wallet back into the man's jacket. "Anyone who finds him will assume he's suffered a heart attack, nothing more," she said, standing up. Somehow, she seemed like she had more energy than she did before. She gazed at them. "Come along, children. Let's get you two some decent clothes. And then you can help me with a little project I'm working on," she said, and began to walk across the street.

Lapis and Lazuli stared back at the man they had just seen murdered before their eyes. "What… the hell _is_ she?" Lapis asked breathlessly.

Lazuli looked down at the money in Lapis's hand. "She's our boss," the girl pointed out. At her brother's glance, she shrugged. "It's this, or end up like that guy. I'll take the option where I keep breathing and update my wardrobe," she said, always the voice of practicality.

Lapis sighed. "Yeah… I guess I could use some new clothes, too," he said ruefully, and the two children crossed the street together, to where their new employer was waiting.

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Night time came, and Raditz gazed at his sleeping family. His mate had blue hair today, and she was curled protectively around Snip and Gohan, who were both sleeping soundly, thanks to full bellies and warm baths. Sleeping with his tail curled around her leg was his son Beet, who had apparently decided to confront his brother once and for all, taking responsibility for what he'd done. He wasn't sure what Kakarot had said to him, but other than the bruises and fractured ribs, he appeared to be sorted out. Raditz hadn't seen him sleep this peacefully since before the invasion.

Sleeping with his limbs sprawled all over Beet was Baga, snow globe resting on his chest, snoring loudly. Raditz rolled his eyes, Baga slept so much like Kakarot, it wasn't even funny.

Raditz stepped into his doorframe, looking out towards the obsidian castle he had built for King Vegeta. The entire project had been massive, and parts of it still weren't done, but he'd accomplished more in one month than many civilizations would accomplish in years. And Vegeta was pleased with his castle, much more pleased than he'd ever been with anything else Raditz had done, the entire time he'd served with him. He was proud of what he'd done. He knew his father would be, too.

A flicker of movement caught Raditz's eye, and he knew it was Kakarot, watching him. At night, Kakarot watched the King and Queen, protecting them in their bed. It would probably be boring, but Kakarot had raised it to an art form; he was aware of every single movement within the Ox Kingdom at night, of that Raditz was certain. Somehow, being on that planet with Vegeta had honed his brother's skills to a sharpened point, even as it molded his loyalty to Vegeta to something everyone could feel.

Raditz smirked. Knowing Kakarot could see him, he gave his brother a nod of thanks, and went back inside. Curling up next to his family, he went to sleep, content that everything was as it should be.

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Beet missed Saru's lecture again the next morning, but Baga told him Kakarot had sent him on an errand. That morning's lecture was all about the pride of their people, and Baga spent the whole thing wishing he could have gone with Beet, wherever the other boy had gone off to.

Meanwhile, Beet landed neatly on the floor of the Lookout, determination in his every step as he strode up to where the two Guardians stood, waiting. "I'll do it," he said to them, his gaze all seriousness, "but only if I can bring someone with me," he said.

The two Guardians glanced at each other. "Who do you wish to bring?" he asked.

Beet frowned. "That depends on what it is I gotta do," he said, his gaze unwavering.

Upa smiled. "A practical move. Whoever you bring must agree to the same oath of secrecy that you have," he said softly.

Beet nodded. "I'll make sure of it. Just tell me what it is I need to do," he said, steel in his eyes.

Krillin sighed. "You've heard stories about the dragon balls, right?" he asked.

Beet nodded. "My uncle Kakarot used them to wish his family back, and my aunt Ruta used them to wish everyone with Saiyan blood that was still alive back to Earth," he said, frowning. "But Uncle Kakarot said there weren't any more dragon balls."

Upa nodded. "That is true… the original Guardian of this planet, Kami, he was the one who created the dragon balls. When he died, imbuing us with his essence, the dragon balls faded from existence," he said.

"But," Krillin added, "it turns out that he was an alien, from another planet. He came here in a space ship. And, if you can find his people…"

"Then maybe his people might know how to make dragon balls, too!" Beet said excitedly, his face lighting up. Suddenly, his expression changed. "Why don't you want King Vegeta to know about this?" he asked, confused.

The two Guardians glanced at each other. "Well… because, if he knew there could be other dragon balls out there, he might use them to get revenge on his enemies, something the dragon balls were never intended for," said Krillin.

Beet looked at them for a long time, then rolled his eyes. "Uncle Kakarot was right. You guys really _are_ idiots…" he muttered, earning looks of surprise and dismay from the two Guardians. "You guys are Guardians of the Earth, right? Aren't ya supposed to know about everyone on Earth?" he asked incredulously. He shook his head. "King Vegeta's a Saiyan. If you handed him a magic wand to destroy all of his enemies with one little wave, he'd punch you in the face. It ain't about seein' our enemies dead, to us… it's about us bein' strong enough to defeat them ourselves," he said, scowling. "But, your secret is safe with me. I won't tell King Vegeta, and I'll make sure whoever I get to help me won't tell him, either. But, just so you know? If a Saiyan was gonna use somethin' like that for his own selfish reasons, it would be to wish for immortality… so he could go on fighting forever. We don't usually like to use weapons… not even magical ones," he said, smirking. Then his face fell. "But King Vegeta _would_ want to destroy the dragon balls… after the humans almost wiped us all out with them, he wouldn't want to take any chances. So maybe it's better that he doesn't know, after all," he mused.

The two Guardians shared a look, then began to chuckle. "Yes, that's exactly what we were worried about," Krilln said, and Upa nodded. Beet blinked at them, unconvinced.

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By the time he finished training with his father that evening, Beet had a plan of action. He knew who he had to bring, all he needed to do was convince him. He walked with his father into Matou's, which was full of hungry Saiyans devouring everything in sight. His father strong-armed his way to a table, and Beet forced a space between them large enough for his mother to sit down when she arrived. Baga always ate in the back with Matou, and Gohan and Snip were still too young to brave meal time with adult Saiyans. They didn't bother reserving a spot for Kakarot… there would be no need.

Beet's mother came in, her hair blonde today, and she scowled, scooting in between Beet and Raditz. When his mother was blonde, she didn't take crap from anyone, whether they were stronger than she was or not. Beet relaxed somewhat. Her blonde alter-ego didn't require nearly as much protection; when she had the blue hair, her demeanor changed completely, and she tended to let people take advantage of her. It felt like he had two mothers, really, even though his father always told him she was still the same person, whether she sneezed or not. He could see it, sometimes. He loved her, no matter what personality she had. But blonde Launch was easier to deal with at mealtimes.

"Beet, eat your vegetables, they're good for ya. Grab that eggplant before that jackass steals it!" she commanded, and Beet quickly snagged the large vegetable, as they loaded up their plates with food. The frenzy around them hushed slightly when a shadow loomed over him, and suddenly space freed up on his right, where the saiyan sitting next to him got up and left, and his uncle Kakarot sat down. Beet grinned up at his uncle, who tousled his hair with one hand, even as he began quickly reaching for food with the other hand. The family always seemed to relax when Kakarot got there, mostly because the fighting that typically went with Saiyan meal times was avoided completely at the prospect of having to compete with the King's Royal Guard.

As they ate, Kakarot cast Beet a questioning glance, and Beet met his eyes, and smirked. Kakarot gave a single nod, and went back to his food, his eyes shining with pride. Beet did the same.

 **A/N: Okay, guys, that concludes Episode 1. Sorry the length of these chapters was unbalanced… I'll try to balance it a bit better next time, the story sort of switched directions on me mid-chapter. But I hope you like where it's going…**


	3. Baga's Bad Day, Part 1

**BAGA'S BAD DAY**

 **PART 1**

The winding streets of the Ox Kingdom were filled with people starting out their day as the sun began to peek down into the canyon. Matou was baking bread for the day, and he wasn't the only one, Baga could smell it in the air, mingled with the scents of dirt, flowers, horse manure, burning coal, coffee, and _someone's_ pheromones, the scent of morning. Baga yawned and stretched as he made his way to Matou's. Matou always woke up before the sun to start baking bread, but Baga didn't leave their home until his oldest brother Raditz woke up. Or, to be more precise, until Raditz woke _him_ up. He had gotten kicked in the side again this morning for being a heavy sleeper. Raditz told him if he didn't wake up when Raditz did tomorrow morning, he would end up being instant-transmissioned into a lake. Baga rolled his eyes. He bet _Human_ children didn't get in trouble for being heavy sleepers…

Walking into the mess hall, Baga smiled at the now overwhelming scent of freshly baked bread. Food always made him happy. One of his fondest memories of his mother was her handing him bits of raw meat while she cooked. Now he was the one slipping bits of raw meat to little cubs. Humming softly to himself, he reached under his armor and pulled out the tiny snow globe Queen Bulma had given him. He looked inside it, his eyes scanning the tiny little house and surrounding land for any sign of movement. As he looked, he could see the tiny little door open, and a very small girl with long, spiky hair come out.

"Morning, sis," Baga said softly, smirking. "Gonna be a busy day today, but I'll try to take you guys by the lake if I can later," he murmured. He knew she couldn't understand him, being far too small, and something about the gravity inside distorting sounds, but he made it a point to always take the little snow globe out around the same times every day, and speak softly to them, so they knew he was thinking about them. He missed his sisters, and even though they'd gotten in a lot of trouble, he couldn't stand how lonely they must be, stuck in that little house with just each other for company. It had been three months now, and Queen Bulma had told them six months, before she could find a cure for Maca.

"That you, Baga?" a voice came from the kitchen, and Baga slipped the snow globe back under his armor.

"Yeah, Matou! Morning!" he called, scurrying back into the kitchen. Inside, he could see tables covered in cooling loaves of bread, and a large pot of water was sitting over the fire. "Sorry I'm late," he said rushing to the cold storage to pull out the leftover cuts of meat and vegetables from the night before. He set about putting it all into the pot.

"Fixed you some breakfast, cub. Throw the rest of that in and eat, then I need you to get started on that rice I bought. Your sister-in-law showed me a new way to prepare it, I'll show you how," the large red-haired man said, and Baga grinned at the prospect of learning something new. "Then I need you to trade those hides before noon day meal," he added.

Baga's grin faded. "Aw… _hides_?" he asked plaintively. He _hated_ working with hides. Nothing but scraping, and drying, and stretching… and the way they _smelled_ , he seriously hated it.

Matou glared at him. "Where do you think we get the money to stock this kitchen? Those hides get used in the armor we wear, cub. Besides, thought you wanted to pick out the spices today," he said, his large hands kneading the dough for another loaf.

"Right!" Baga said, his mood lifting once more. "Spice day!" he said excitedly, and threw the last of the leftovers into the pot all at once, before sitting down on a stool to wolf down the large bowl of soup and two loaves of bread Matou had made for him. It wasn't much, for a Saiyan, but it was enough to give him energy to help with breakfast, and he and Matou always ate their fill as they cooked. A good cook made certain to taste the food before it ever touched a plate.

Matou chuckled. "Just don't pick out anything too spicy. Last time you experimented with that wasabi stuff, the King nearly choked!" he said.

Baga's cheeks turned red, and he scowled. "Wasn't my fault!" he said between bites. "I told him just a little, he's the one who slathered it on!" he said, then shot a sly look at the larger Saiyan. "Didn't expect him to turn that color, either," he murmured, hiding a smirk at the memory of King Vegeta's face turning bright purple, as he demanded anything and everything to drink.

Matou came up to him and smacked him upside the head with a flour covered hand. "That's your king you're talkin' about. Don't let your brothers hear you talkin' like that," he warned him, scowling.

"Yes, sir," Baga said, abashed, but the sly smirk Matou gave him had Baga smirking back. Matou was loyal to the king, intensely loyal, but he didn't really have a stick up his ass like he pretended to sometimes. Baga had merely made the mistake of speaking aloud what they were both thinking.

Just then, a familiar ki entered the mess hall, and Matou glanced at Baga, nodding. Baga grinned and retrieved the roasted pig and the basket of sweat breads Matou had already prepared for this very reason, and rushed out to meet his brother.

Kakarot yawned sleepily as he sat down in his usual spot when he wasn't eating with his family. "Morning, Kaka," Baga greeted as he placed the roasted pig and the basket on the table.

Kakarot's eyes lit up at the sight, and he grinned. "Morning, Baga! Wow, this looks delicious! Tell Matou I said thanks!" he said, and with no further ceremony dug in.

Baga snickered. Kakarot's appetite was legendary, even among Saiyans. His older brother was in a bit early, which meant the king must have woken up early. Kakarot was always nearby, but never bothered guarding the king during the day. You would have to be pretty stupid to mess with the Saiyan King. Kakarot was the only person Matou let come in before mealtimes. Everyone assumed it was because of his brother's strength, but Baga had seen Broly try it once, and Matou had stared him down, even though Broly's strength was legendary. No, Matou made special consideration for Kakarot for some other reason. Baga didn't know what exactly, but from what he gathered from Matou, Kakarot must have done something nice for him, something that Matou still felt indebted to him for. Whatever it was, it meant that Kakarot got to come in and eat whenever he wanted, and had food always prepared for him; everyone else had to wait outside until the meal was ready.

Baga hurried back into the kitchen, and grinned at Matou, who nodded. Matou showed Baga how to prepare the rice, and before too long, they had the tables laid out with soup, bread, vegetables, meat, and small rice cakes. A crowd of hungry Saiyans were standing around outside the mess hall, and once Baga was out of the way, Matou gave them a nod. Immediately they pushed in, and Baga watched the battle commence.

Mealtime was always like a battlefield, in Baga's opinion. The hungriest sat down quickly, wolfing down what they could. The strongest sauntered in, and sat wherever they pleased, even if someone else happened to be sitting there, and often stole food from others around them if they saw something they liked. Families sat together, protecting each other's food as they ate. Single females didn't even bother sitting, they would often lean in beside someone they were interested in and snag something from the table, then eat standing up. Sometimes whoever they showed interest in would make room for them at the table, typically by force, and pull them in to sit beside them.

Then there were the cubs. Cubs that had families were often seated in between the stronger members of the family, and made to eat as much as they could, not that you typically had to force a Saiyan to eat. The cubs that didn't have families, the ones that were _everyone's_ , scampered around the room, trying to snag food from the tables where they could. Once in a while someone would grab one and sit him or her down beside them, and it would be as though it was _their_ cub.

And then there were the Humans. When Baga's mother had started the Earth Defense Squad, she had recruited Human females to create it, since, in Saiyan culture, the women typically defended the homestead, while the men went out and conquered new territory. When everyone with Saiyan blood had been wished to Earth, the Saiyan females naturally also became members, and the Human members of the squad were treated as though they were Saiyans. For the most part, they assimilated completely into their culture, and many of them found Saiyan mates. However, meal time was one of those moments when it became painfully obvious that they were definitely _not_ Saiyan. One reason, was because they didn't eat nearly as much as a Saiyan… they could eat half a loaf of bread and a bowl of soup, and be completely satisfied. Another was because they weren't as strong as Saiyans; if they had a Saiyan mate, they were protected much like cubs were, with them in the middle. His sister-in-law Launch was a good example of that, though when she had blonde hair, she almost held her own. But, for the Human females who were unmated, and who weren't looking for mates, they had developed a system which seemed to bypass the typical 'get stronger or starve' mentality of Saiyan upbringing. That system was Tanmen.

Tanmen was unmated, but for some reason, always found a seat between Broly and his mate Parsi. No one ever messed with Broly, and Parsi was quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with, herself. Tanmen would sit between them, and one by one members of the EDS would come up behind her, and she'd give them whatever they wanted from the table. It wasn't much, so Broly didn't care, and they would gather together in a group off to the side, standing and talking as they ate. Baga always marveled at that. Why did Humans talk during meal times? Didn't Humans see food as important? He supposed if they didn't have to fight for the food, they wouldn't be so afraid of having it stolen, but still. Humans were _weird._

Suddenly, shouting could be heard from the far end of the mess hall, and Baga grinned. Korn and Tato were at it again. Apparently Tato had stolen something from Korn that the other Saiyan had wanted; probably the last sweetbread, they were always fighting over sweetbreads. Korn had thrown the first punch, then the fight was on, with everyone cheering and throwing bones towards the fighters. Baga was cheering for Tato, when he was flicked in the side of the head with a tail. Spinning around he saw Matou, giving him a look, and Baga's eyes widened, remembering what he was supposed to be doing. With a sheepish grin, he scurried back into the kitchen as Matou placed more food out on the tables and took away empty platters.

Baga couldn't see who won, but figured it would probably be Korn again. He was older, but he was sneaky, and while Tato was his favorite to win, Korn always seemed to get the upper hand. Baga scrubbed out the pots for the next meal, and began to wash dirty platters and bowls as Matou brought them. His thoughts turned to what spices he would pick out this time. He enjoyed the different spices he got last time, especially the cloves, which he ended up adding to his brew, something he was making additional money for on the side and keeping a secret from Matou and his older brothers. He was saving up for more of the exotic fruits that his father had found before he died, that gave the alcohol enough potency to get a Saiyan drunk. He was almost out of them, and they were rare. He tried planting them, but they didn't like the soil here, they could only be grown under certain conditions. One day he wanted to plant an orchard, and run his own brewery, and his own bar. A Saiyan bar. Korn had fed that idea to him, and the more he thought about it, the more in love he was with the idea. What better place to see a good fight while his people enjoyed the fruits of his labor?

"Best get to Saru's training, cub," Matou said, breaking him out of his thoughts. Baga sighed, and slipped a couple of leftover sweet breads into his pocket. Matou handed him a rice cake, which he crammed into his mouth gratefully on his way out the door. Matou always kept him well-fed, and even though nothing had ever been said between them about it, he treated Baga like a father would treat a son. After Baga's father died in the battle against Frieza, it was a special comfort.

Baga ran out of the mess hall and flew up into the air, over the walls of the large arena, and landed in the center where the other cubs were gathering. Around them, various fighters sparred, Humans and Saiyans alike. Baga could make out the Ox King in the fray, but didn't see Raditz anywhere. Saru always taught them first thing after breakfast, right in the middle of everything, in hopes that the lessons he taught the cubs might be picked up by their parents. The cubs sat gathered in a semi-circle in the middle, well away from any danger. Baga noticed Beet was there, and sat down next to the taller boy, slipping him one of his sweet breads. The other he slipped to Snip, who was big enough to start coming to these things with her older brother, even though she might not really understand what was going on yet. Edama glaced at him hopefully on his other side, but Baga shrugged. He knew the others wouldn't cause too much of a fuss; it was expected that he would fend for his family over others, and anyone who told on him for taking food from the kitchen would have to deal with Beet.

About that time, Saru showed up, followed closely by Maiz and Sadala. Sadala had become an apprentice to Saru, much like Baga was an apprentice to Matou. She was creepy and no one ever really talked to her, besides Edama and Ruta, and Ruta was currently residing in the snow globe hidden in Baga's armor. Maiz was older, and of mating age, and even though his blood-red eyes tended to freak out the humans, he was fun to be around, and was always willing to answer any questions you might have… about _anything_.

The older priest stepped into the semi-circle, causing silence to fall all around him. "How strong are you?" he asked them, getting right to the point, as usual. He looked at each of them. "Hmm? How strong? Are you strong enough to get what you want? Or do you have to have other people get it for you?" he asked them, scowling. "Are you strong enough to keep what's yours? To protect it?" He turned his eyes to Baga. "You. What do you protect?" he demanded.

Baga met his eyes directly. "My family," he said, in no uncertain terms.

Saru smirked. "Really?" he asked. Suddenly, Snip was caught up in his hand as he gripped her by the back of her little pink coveralls, holding her up high. She began to cry, and Beet and Baga both stood, growling. Saru scowled at Beet. "Sit down, cub. I know you're capable of protecting her. I'm talking to Baga," he said, narrowing his eyes.

Beet sat down reluctantly, and Baga could feel his eyes on him, but he never took his eyes off of Snip. "What will you do, Baga? Are you strong enough to protect her?" he asked, holding her up higher.

Baga growled, and attacked, each one of his attacks being blocked expertly by Saru. Snarling, Baga gripped a handful of dirt and threw it up into Saru's eyes, using the brief instant of distraction to wrench Snip out of Saru's hand, holding her close as Saru got the dirt out of his eyes.

Snarling, the priest turned on the boy. "Do you resort to dirty tricks to hide your weakness?!" he demanded.

Baga narrowed his eyes. "To protect my family, I'll resort to _anything_ ," he snarled back, his muscles tensed for another attack.

Saru approached him slowly, equally tensed. "That energy you feel? That excitement? That perfect instinct for battle? _That_ is what it means to be Saiyan," he said, smirking. "Feel your blood pumping, how it longs for battle, calls for bloodshed. It _begs_ you to become stronger, it _demands_ it! Fight me _now,_ " he said, and in a single moment Baga released Snip and flew at him, completely letting go of his bloodlust, allowing himself to revel in the fight, ignoring the fact that he'd regret it later. He landed a few good hits, fighting with every intention of ripping out the priest's throat, before Saru finally got ahold of his tail, and all of Baga's strength left him at once. "Good. _That's_ what I'm talking about!" he said, as he turned to the others. "However strong you are now, it isn't strong enough. Someone, somewhere, is stronger than you are. And they might decide they want what's yours. Your home. Your family. Your life. In the end, strength is the _only_ thing that matters. Everything else is a delusion for the weak," he said, and deposited Baga down beside Beet. Baga's strength came back to him slowly as Saru continued his lecture, and then sent them on their way.

Baga groaned. He was going to have a tail ache all day now. He glanced up at Beet as they left the arena, Snip curled up in Beet's arms. "Why's he always gotta pick on _me_ ," Baga groaned plaintively.

"'Cause he's right. You gotta get stronger. Especially now," Beet said softly, glancing around so no one would hear him.

Baga glanced up at him sharply. "You mean… _tonight_?" he asked conspiratorially.

Beet nodded, and looked down at Snip, who was clutching his armor. "You gotta take care of Snip and Gohan, now, Baga. You know how other cubs are. Once they know I'm gone, you'll have to be enough reason for them not to mess with us," he said, looking at him seriously.

Baga met his gaze. "They'll be safe with me, Beet. I promise," he said, his expression grim. "I'm more worried about you. You're gonna get creamed out there. I've heard Raditz's stories. You're too trusting," he said, smirking.

Beet frowned at that. "Am not! Not everyone's as sneaky as you, Baga," he retorted.

Baga gave him a look. "I'm sneaky 'cause I'm small. Those people out there ain't Saiyans, and they ain't Human. The people you meet out there ain't gonna see you as a person, they're gonna see you as an alien. It's different," he said. "Just don't trust 'em, is all I'm sayin'."

Beet grimaced. "If you never trust anyone you meet, you won't trust anyone," he argued, as they made their way back to the mess hall. "What kind of life is that, not trustin' anyone?"

Baga rolled his eyes. "You can trust your own, you just can't trust aliens," he said.

"That's racism, and Mama says it's wrong," Beet said.

"Yeah? Was that before or after she sneezed?" Baga quipped, earning a punch in the arm from Beet.

"Keep that shit up, and I'll tell Papa you got your tail grabbed," Beet said, earning a glare from Baga.

"You'd better not!" Baga protested as they arrived at the mess hall. "I gotta take the hides to trade, and Matou said I could make the king's food today, so I wanna get some new spices. I wanna make somethin' he'll _really_ like," he said, smirking.

Beet laughed. "Yeah, try not to poison him this time," he said, referring to the wasabi incident. At Baga's glare, he laughed again. Then his expression turned serious. "Just remember, Baga…"

Baga rolled his eyes. "Only one talkin' 'bout it's you," he said with a smirk. He'd known Beet was preparing for a journey into space, mostly because there was no way for him _not_ to know what Beet was up to. He covered for Beet without question, and it didn't need to be said that whatever Beet was up to was secret for a reason. He knew enough to know Beet wasn't going alone, and was keeping him out of the loop about the details for his own safety. Baga's only demand was that he be safe, and come back home to tell him all about it. Beet had agreed to that much, at least.

Beet cast him a look of gratitude, then flew off.

Baga went to the outside walls of the long mess hall, and set about stacking the hides he had set out to tan yesterday. He hated tanning hides. It was the only part of his job he truly disliked. It wasn't really the heavy lifting so much as the monotony of it. And the smell. He really didn't like the smell. But the meat they cooked in the kitchen had to come from somewhere, and the creatures who provided the meat also provided hides that humans were willing to buy to make clothes and armor and all kinds of other things. Once he had the hides stacked up high, he hefted the tall stack onto his back, and made his way to the trading booths, weaving in and out of the way of other villagers. Suddenly, he saw two feet stop short in front of him, and felt a hand on the top of his stack, steadying it. "Is that a Saiyan under there?" a gruff voice asked, and Baga grinned.

"Engie!" he said, and lifted the stack up with his hands so he could stand up straight and look up. The older Saiyan's hair stood straight up in a flat top, and he wore a black skin suit with a tool belt hanging over one hip, his tail wrapped tightly above it. He crossed his arms, looking Baga over.

"Need you to get somethin' for me," Engie said, cutting to the chase, and knelt down, slipping a capsule into Baga's armor.

Baga met his eyes, his mind racing. "Liquor, food, or other?" he asked softly, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Engie smirked. "All of the above. Beet said you'd know what I need," he said, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was listening.

Baga flashed him a grin. "Done," he said, then his expression turned serious. "I'll make sure it's the good stuff, if you promise to keep your eye out for him. He's soft," he said, his eyes hard.

Engie raised an eyebrow. "Cub's stronger than me," he said, frowning.

"That ain't what I mean," Baga replied.

Engie grunted at that, then cocked his head. "Done. Plenty of the good stuff, though, I have a feeling I'm gonna need it. He's bringing _Doragastu_ ," he said, rolling his eyes.

Baga snickered, but the weight of the stack of hides he was holding above his head was putting a strain on his arms. "I'll pack enough for you to share," he said slyly. "Might solve the problem right there," he suggested. Doragastu was a respected warrior, but the other Saiyans tended to avoid conversation with him, since he was half moon-wrong. It wasn't nice, but then, Saiyans had never been called _that_ …

Engie chuckled. "Might at that," he said, and gave him a nod, then stood and walked away.

Baga grinned, lowering the stack of hides again, relieving his muscles somewhat. He knew Raditz would be training him hard after noon-day meal, and he'd already had his tail grabbed today, he needed all the strength he could get. Careful not to bump into anyone, he made his way to the first armor-smith's booth he came to. "Mr. Lustig!" he called, and an old man poked his head around the corner inside the booth, and smiled.

"Baga! Good to see you. How's Matou?" the old armorer asked, smiling regularly.

Baga ginned. "He's good. Says the shoulder straps work better now," he said.

Mr. Lustig grunted at that. "Glad to hear it. I underestimated how much you Saiyans move. I've upgraded all of my armor since Matou's broke," he murmured, eyeing the stack of hides on the boy's back. "Here to trade, eh? I can take at least half of those, but that's all I can afford," he drawled.

Baga raised an eyebrow. "Oh, no problem, Mr. Lustig," he said casually. "I planned to sell most of 'em to Mr. Tallow, anyway, he pays more. Just stopped here 'cause you're closer, is all," he said.

Mr. Lustig narrowed his eyes. "How much more?" he asked.

Thirty minutes later, Baga was walking away with no hides and a handful of zenni, which he stuffed into his armor. He hid a grin. He had only sold hides to Mr. Tallow twice, and the stingy human always shorted him. Lucky for him, Mr. Lustig fell for his pitch every time. He would feel worse about it, if he didn't also know that Mr. Lustig was trying to get one over on _him_ , too.

Human bartering was fun.

Baga followed his nose to his favorite booth. It was some distance away from the mess hall, but he didn't care… he would circle the globe if it would give him better spices. He passed a group of human children playing a game of tag, and grinned. Humans might be slower and weaker and nicer than Saiyans were, but they still knew how to have fun, and Baga could relate to that.

Once he got to the booth, he grinned, stepping up to the window. "Mrs. Alva?" he asked, seeing her pouring something into a cloth pouch.

The old woman turned, and smiled toothlessly at him. "Oh, Baga! I hoped to see you today. Come for something new, eh?" she asked knowingly.

Baga grinned. At first Mrs. Alva had freaked him out a little; Saiyans didn't usually let themselves grow old. The oldest Saiyan he'd ever met was Nappa, and he didn't look much older than his Papa had, before he died. But humans liked to see just how long they could go before their bodies completely fell apart. Mrs. Alva looked like she was almost there.

But, she was funny, and Baga liked how she sounded when she talked, since she didn't have any teeth. She also had the best nose of any human he'd ever met, and could tell what spices you used in your breakfast just by smelling your breath. "Yeah. I'm lookin' for somethin' savory, but not toospicy. Somethin' that'll taste good with pork and rhubarb. Like the cloves, but…"

Mrs. Alva smiled. "You want something pungent, earthy, with sweet undertones," she said, holding up one bony finger. "Why don't you try this?" she asked, after selecting a cloth bag from the shelf behind her, and handed it to him.

Baga smelled it, and smiled. "Mmmm… yeah, this! What's it taste like with food, though?" he asked, knowing from personal experience that just because something smelled good, didn't mean it tasted good.

The old woman was prepared, though, and retrieved a bowl from another shelf. She dipped a ladle into a pot in the back, which simmered with bubbling porridge. After scooping some of it into the bowl, she grabbed a spoon and handed it to Baga. "Sprinkle some in, and try it," she said.

Baga had done this before, and knew from experience that Mrs. Alva's porridge was as tasteless as sand. Taking her advice, he sprinkled a bit of the dark spice into the bowl, and took a bite. He thought for a moment, then slowly smiled. "Mrs. Alva, this is perfect! I'll take this, and a large sack of whole cloves, some ground ginger, more cayenne, and… what was that green leaf stuff you gave me last time? _Sage_ , yeah, more sage."

"No wasabi?" the old woman asked, eyebrow raised.

Baga blushed. "No… King Vegeta… isn't a big fan," he said, not meeting her eyes.

Mrs. Alva chuckled. "I'm sure there's a story there, but I won't pry," she said, as she slowly filled his order.

Baga pulled out his snow globe, setting it down on the counter beside his bowl. He knew from experience that Mrs. Alva would take some time. Part of being indecently old. He kept the snow globe with him at all times to keep it safe, but that meant it got very little sunlight, so he took it out whenever he could. It wasn't only that, though… he knew his sister Ruta could sense ki, and he wanted her to always sense his nearby. He wanted his sisters to feel like they weren't alone.

"What's that?" a girl's voice asked, and Baga turned to see a girl with blond hair and ice blue eyes, looking at the snow globe curiously. She wasn't dressed quite like the other people in the Ox Kingdom, but Baga didn't know enough about human fashion to really say for sure.

Instinctively, Baga reached for the snow globe, but the girl pushed his arm just slightly, causing him to miss his target, and she snatched the snow globe. Baga's eyes narrowed dangerously, and he fought to control his instincts. "Give that back. _Now_ , _"_ he warned, but to her credit, the girl didn't seem fazed.

"Come and get it," she said, and began to run.

Baga moved to go after her, but was tripped by a human boy with black hair, and the same ice blue eyes. "Oops, sorry," he said, offering a hand, but Baga growled and went after the girl, not sparing the boy another glance. "Huh. Was it something I said?" the boy asked, as he turned his eyes to the cloth spice bag on the counter.

Meanwhile, Baga was weaving through people and carts as he chased the human girl. He had caught her scent, and knew where she was. All he could think about was Saru's lecture that morning, and he cursed himself for losing something so precious, to a _human_. When he finally caught up, she had stopped, and was holding the snow globe with the glass side facing a stone wall, poised to smash it. "Try anything, and your little trinket's trash," she said, scowling.

Baga growled. "You _really_ don't want to mess with me, human. Hand it over, or I'll rip your head off," he snarled.

The girl's eyes widened at that, and she glanced at the snow globe. "Wow, this must be some snow globe. Or are you Saiyans just that possessive?" she said, and suddenly, she was being pressed against the wall, with Baga's arm over her throat, and his face inches away from hers. He had his other hand held protectively over the snow globe, which was still in her hand.

"My _sisters_ are in there," he snarled, pressing harder with the arm over her throat. She opened her hand, allowing him to take the snow globe from her. He lessened the pressure on her throat so she could breath, scowling at her. "And, _yes._ We Saiyans _are_ that possessive. A word of advice, don't screw with us, or we might stop holding back," he said, and pulled himself away from her, fighting his instincts to follow as he watched her run away.

Baga gave himself a few extra minutes to calm down, before he slipped the snow globe back underneath his armor and headed back to Mrs. Alva's booth. By the time he'd returned, Mrs. Alva had placed his order on the counter, and he handed her the amount of zenni she requested without trying to barter. Not trusting himself around humans at the moment, he grabbed the bags of spices and left.

In a foul mood, he returned to the kitchen with the spices, and handed Matou the leftover zenni. Matou took one look at him and said, "What's with you?"

Baga scowled and pulled an animal carcass from cold storage, then deposited it on the counter. "Nothin' a good spar won't fix," he grumbled, and unhooked his mother's butcher knife from his belt. Viciously he drove the knife into the creature's flesh, taking a dark pleasure in separating the meat from the bone.

"Huh. Can you focus on the king's meal, or do I have to kick your ass, first?" Matou asked, watching him carefully.

"I ain't a cub, Matou, I can control myself. Got trainin' with Raditz after noon-day meal, remember?" he said, hacking into the carcass, and narrowly missed cutting off his thumb.

"Knife down, Baga. _Now_ ," Matou said firmly, and Baga growled, but complied, placing the knife down.

"See? Full control," he said, scowling, but Matou was taking off his apron. He clenched his teeth. "I said I was fine," he said, his fists clenched.

Matou scowled. The smell of meat always made cubs more vicious, which was why Saiyan spectators threw bones during a fight, to make it better. "Do it and get it out of your system, cub, or I'll banish you from the kitchen for the rest of the day," he threatened.

Baga growled and rushed at him, knowing to get his attacks in early. Matou didn't train often, and couldn't hold a candle to the likes of Kakarot or even Raditz, but Baga soon felt the large man's hands punching him in the side and cracking him in the skull. When Baga was too dizzy to attack properly, Matou stopped the fight and made him sit down, giving him some strips of raw meat. "Eat that and get your strength back. Then you can finish King Vegeta's food, and deliver it to him. I know you'll do a good job," he said, and set about butchering the carcass that Baga had started.

Baga always felt more like himself after a good fight, even when he lost. He ate the strips of meat, licking his fingers. Raw meat wasn't very tasty, but it was healthy for young Saiyans to eat at least some raw meat in their diet, and despite his words to the contrary, Baga was nowhere near mating age. Wincing as he moved, he got up and washed his plate, then set about helping Matou.

Making King Vegeta's food was Baga's favorite part. He sprinkled a fair amount of the new spice he'd bought onto the meat, then began to cook it. The smell filled the kitchen, and Matou smirked in approval. Baga tasted a hunk of meat to make sure that it was cooked just right, as Matou began to prepare noon-day meal for everyone else. He smiled; King Vegeta was going to _love_ it! Once the king's food was prepared, Baga began to pack it into the large bento boxes one of the Ox King's people had made for them. When all eight boxes were filled, it was the perfect amount of food for King Vegeta.

Baga quickly hefted the stacked bento boxes into his arms, and made his way to King Vegeta's castle. His brother had built it so that the part where King Vegeta entertained guests was easy enough to get to, but his private quarters required a handprint to operate the door, and for the computer to recognize you as King Vegeta, Queen Bulma, Prince Tarble, or Kakarot. There had already been one assassination attempt on King Vegeta, and though he had the most efficient bodyguard in the known universe, and was himself a force to be feared, Queen Bulma insisted on added security. As a result, he had to wait outside the door and flare his ki before someone finally let him in. By then he was starting to get tired of holding the bento boxes.

He quickly hid his discomfort, however, when the door opened, and Kakarot waved him inside. Baga grinned at his brother, who he assumed had been summoned by the king, as he was usually asleep about this time. Kakarot sniffed experimentally at the bento boxes, but Baga growled. Smirking, Kakarot backed away, not because he was afraid of Baga, but more because he had just been teasing him in the first place. Baga cast him a mock-glare, then came in and placed the bento boxes on the table, opening each one for the king, who looked at them hungrily. When he opened the last one, he turned to the king, bowing respectfully.

Then he collapsed on the floor.

 **A/N: Yes,** **dear readers, I am evil. I have a lot to do this weekend, so the next chapter won't be up until next weekend. So we'll just have to find out what happens next time, on Dragon Ball ASF! ;)**


	4. Baga's Bad Day, Part 2

**BAGA'S BAD DAY, PART 2**

The moment Baga collapsed, Kakarot was by his side, looking him over. Vegeta came over as well, his expression grim. "Cub's been fighting. Could be fatigue," he said but Kakarot shook his head.

"He's sick, feel his skin, he's clammy," he said, then pressed two fingers to his forehead. After a moment, he disappeared, and then reappeared with a protesting Turles.

"-the hell are you… Sire?" he asked, seeing Vegeta. The king gestured to the boy on the floor, and Turles cursed, kneeling down beside him. Lifting Baga's eyelids and checking his fingertips and the inside of his mouth, his eyes shot to Kakarot. "What was he doing before this happened?"

Kakarot shook his head. "He was just setting up the king's food," he said, and Turles's eyes narrowed as he regarded the bento boxes on the table.

"Don't eat any of that," he said to the king.

Vegeta scowled. "You think it's poisoned?" he asked dubiously.

Turles shrugged. "Might be. Cub's a good cook, any good cook tastes the food before they give it to anyone," he said, checking the boy's pulse. "Pulse is weak. Sensu won't fix this if it's poison, which means the serum won't either, and the healing tank'll think the poison's _supposed_ to be there," he muttered. "Cub needs to vomit, _right now,_ " he said, and proceeded to stick his fingers down Baga's throat forcefully. Nothing happened at first, then Baga gagged, and he removed his hand and turned the boy over just in time for Baga to get sick all over the floor.

"Ugh, _disgusting_ ," King Vegeta muttered, but kept his eyes on the cub.

Baga began to breath shakily, and some of his color returned. Turles checked his pulse again. "Better, but too much of it got into his system. I need to take him to the infirmary and run some tests." he said, and his eyes flicked to King Vegeta. "Sire, that poison might have been meant for you, or it could be in the rest of the food," he warned.

King Vegeta nodded, and flicked his eyes to Kakarot. "Clear the mess hall, no one eats or drinks anything until we've discovered the source of this poison," he said in no uncertain terms.

Kakarot nodded, and pressed his fingers against his forehead again, disappearing.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes at the cub as Turles checked his pupils again. "That cub just saved my life," he said, clenching his fist. "Whatever coward did this will pay _dearly_ ," he said, his lip curled in anger.

Turles spared the king a glance. He could recognize Kakarot's influence in the man. He had been familiar with his father's style of rule, and there was no way the previous King Vegeta would give a shit about any cub save his own. "Yes, Sire," he said, and eyed the bento boxes. "I'll send someone for those, I'll need to run some tests to find out what kind of poison it is," he said, scooping Baga up into his arms. Quickly, he placed two fingers on his forehead, and promptly disappeared.

King Vegeta sighed. Living on this peaceful, idyllic planet was eating away at him, he was desperate for a good fight. And the one time someone _did_ try something, they had to resort to such cowardly methods as poison, depriving him of the chance to even throw a punch. It pissed him off to no end.

" _Damn_ … food smelled good, too," he muttered, and left the room, scowling.

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Kakarot appeared in the mess hall, right behind Matou, who was putting food out. "Stop, Matou. No one eats today," he said, scowling.

Matou turned around, wide-eyed. "Never thought I'd hear _you_ say somethin' like that," he said, surprised. At Kakarot's grim look, though, he became instantly serious. "What is it?" he asked, knowing it couldn't be good.

"Baga," Kakarot said, causing Matou's eyes to widen further. "He's been poisoned."

Matou became livid. "They better not have _fucking_ used _my_ kitchen!" he said, storming into the kitchen. "Where is it….?!" he asked, frowning.

"Where is what?" Kakarot asked, following him.

"The _spices_. It's the only thing it could be, I've tasted everything I put out there, except what Baga made for the king, and he just bought some new spices, one of them's gotta be poisonous," he said, glaring at the bags when he found them. "It's one of these, has to be," he said. He turned to Kakarot. "I'll try each one myself if I have to," he said grimly. This was the second time someone had used something from his kitchen to try to murder the king. He would rather die than be labelled an assassin, especially one cowardly enough to use _poison._

Kakarot rolled his eyes. "Don't be stupid, Matou, I know you wouldn't hurt Baga, and I know you ain't got nothin' against King Vegeta. But we can't take any chances if this food's been poisoned, too. You know I hate to waste good food, but…"

Matou shook his head. "I'll get rid of it, Kakarot. Is… is Baga…?"

Kakarot placed a hand on his shoulder grimly. "Baga's stronger than he looks, and he ain't dead yet. Best we can do for him now is find out who did this," he said, and turned to grab the bags of spices. "I'll take these to Turles. You keep everyone out of here. If anyone asks, no one eats or drinks, king's orders," he said, and Matou gave him a single nod. With that, Kakarot left the mess hall.

Matou cursed, glaring at the tables covered in food. _He_ had been the one to turn Baga onto cooking in the first place, and he had been the one to encourage Baga to try new things. The boy wouldn't be fighting for his life right now if it wasn't for him...

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Turles glared at the readings on the monitor before him. To his left, Baga lay on the table, barely breathing. Raditz came in, followed by Beet, and Turles glanced up. "Raditz. Stand there by Baga and hold out your arm," he commanded, and Raditz obeyed without question, looking confused. Turles came over and inserted a needle into Raditz's arm. The needle was attached to a long tube, the other end of which was attached to a machine, which was attached to another tube, which was attached to Baga's arm. Baga's other arm had a needle in it as well, and this was attached to a tube and an empty bag, which was slowly filling up with blood. At Raditz's confused look, he said, "Baga's blood's poisoned, so we're replacing it with yours for now," he said.

Beet scowled. "Use mine, too," he offered, holding out his arm, but Turles shook his head.

"You're a hybrid, Beet, Raditz and Baga have the same parents. I don't know what effect your blood would have on him, and I don't think now's the best time to find out," he said to the cub, and scowled, glancing at the bags of spices he was studying. "You can help more by finding Kakarot and telling him that the poison came from the spices he bought earlier today, my test confirms it. Poison was in the King's meat, and nothing else, the only thing he used _this_ stuff on," he said, holding open one of the bags. Inside it was filled with a dark brown powder, with a strong, curious scent. "I'm still running tests to develop an antidote," he added, smirking slightly as he gazed at the bag curiously.

Beet regarded his great-uncle uneasily. His father's uncle had never pretended to be very soft-hearted, and was generally cranky, even for a Saiyan. To hear his father's stories, however, Turles cared deeply for his family; even Uncle Kakarot had accredited Turles with his survival when they were out in space, and had even urged Beet to find someone similar to take on his own adventure. But still… there was always something in Turles's eyes, and Beet wondered for a moment if he wasn't somehow… _excited_ , that all of this had happened, that he had an interesting puzzle to solve. Even if it meant his nephew was currently dying on the table.

Shaking such thoughts from his head, Beet gave a nod, then casting one last look at Baga, rushed out of the infirmary to find Uncle Kakarot.

Turles cast a glance at Raditz. "Cub could use some blood under his boots," he muttered gruffly.

Raditz sighed. "Blood under his boots is the problem, lately," he said. "I was purging planets when I was his size, never got as torn up as he did over purging one city. Gotta be his human half."

Turles grunted at that, and turned back to his work. "Nah, Kakarot came out just as soft. It's this planet. It'll turn all of us soft, eventually," he said, as he began to pour a small amount from the spice bag onto a petri dish.

Raditz glanced down at Baga. Was it true? Would this planet make them all soft? Raditz clenched his fist. No… they were _Saiyans_. "Don't fucking die on me, little brother," he muttered, his tail brushing against Baga's. " _Fight_. Fight with _everything._ You're a Saiyan, it's gonna take more than this weak ass shit to kill you," he said with a fierce glare.

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Beet found Kakarot going from booth to booth, asking everyone if Baga had been there. "Uncle Kaka!" he called, causing Kakarot to turn around. When he came close enough, he told him in a low voice, "Turles says it's definitely one spices, a really dark brown one, and I got its scent," he said.

Kakarot gave him a nod. "Then help me find the booth he bought it from. None of these people seem to want to talk to me, today," he said, scowling.

Beet raised an eyebrow. "Probably 'cause you're running around like a crazy person, Uncle Kaka," he said, earning a confused look from his uncle. "C'mon, I know he always goes to Mr. Lustig, let me ask him if he knows what other booths he goes to," he said, and led his uncle to the booth closest to the mess hall.

Mr. Lustig was busy in the back of the booth. "Mr. Lustig!" Beet called, causing the older man to poke his head out. When he saw Beet, he smiled.

"Hello, there, Beet! Baga didn't send you with more hides, did he? Or are you here to request some new armor? You _are_ growing like a weed," he mused, chuckling good-naturedly.

Beet's expression was grim. "Mr. Lustig… Baga's got hold of something poisonous. We need to find out where he got it from," he said.

Mr. Lustig's expression changed dramatically. "Oh, my! Is the boy okay?" he asked, concerned.

Beet looked down. "My great-uncle is doing everything he can. Can you help us retrace his steps today?" he asked. "Where did he go when he left here?"

Mr. Lustig raised an eyebrow in thought. "Well… not to Mr. Tallow, I bought all of his hides. He sometimes stops off at the fruit vendors, the wine vendors, and occasionally I see him stopping at Maggie's sweet shop, though I can never tell with that boy if he goes to see Maggie or her sweets…" he chuckled. At the two Saiyans' expressions, he sobered up. "But he always goes to the spices at the end," he said.

Kakarot's expression darkened. "Take us to the spice vendors," he said, in no uncertain terms.

"Please, Mr. Lustig," Beet added, remembering manners for the both of them.

Mr. Lustig only hesitated for a moment. "Y-yes, of course," he said, and closed up his booth, pulling the covering over the window so everyone would know he was closed. Once done, he led them past one booth after the other. They stopped at a few, where Mr. Lustig did the talking, before ending up at Mrs. Alva's booth.

"Mrs. Alva!" Mr. Lustig called, and minutes later, an old woman came out, yawning. She was stooped over as she walked, and grinned at them toothlessly.

"Oh, well, hello, Mr. Lustig! Finally decide to take me up on my offer, eh?" she asked coyly.

The armorer blushed. "Actually, we're here about Baga," he said, trying desperately to change the conversation. "Was he here earlier today?" he asked.

The old woman nodded. "Oh, yes, he was here. Bought some spices. He's a good boy, that Baga," she said, smiling.

Beet glanced at Kakarot. The man's expression was unreadable as he regarded the old woman. "Mrs. Alva," Kakarot said, causing the old woman to glance at him. "Did Baga go anywhere else after he bought spices from you?" he asked.

Mrs. Alva frowned in thought. "No… I don't think so. He pretty much took his spices and went straight back, I think. Didn't even haggle with me this time, seemed to be in a hurry," she said.

Beet's stomach sank. "Uncle Kaka… you don't think…"

"Beet. Do you smell the spice here that Turles showed you?" Kakarot responded grimly, not looking at his nephew.

Beet sniffed the air. "There's too many smells, I can't pick it out," he said, frowning.

Mrs. Alva raised an eyebrow. "Oh, looking for which spices he bought?" she asked. She pulled out a small bowl and opened one of her spice drawers, spooning out a small amount into the bowl. "Here, try this one," she said, handing it to Beet. "This was the new one I sold him, he seemed pretty excited about it," she added.

Beet didn't have to sniff it to know, but he did anyway. He nodded grimly. "Yeah… this was it," he said, looking up at Mrs. Alva with new eyes. How could this kind old woman poison Baga? Were humans so devious that they could pretend to like someone and still try to kill them?

Had Baga been right about aliens after all?

"Mrs. Alva," Kakarot said grimly. "You need to come with me, now," he said.

"Uncle Kaka-" Beet started, but earned a dark look from his uncle, silencing him.

His uncle looked back at Mrs. Alva, who was looking him over. "Well, dear… if I really must. May I ask why?" she asked, beginning to suspect that something wasn't right.

Kakarot's expression was grim, as he reached out and took her arm, his grip gentle, but firm. "For the attempted assassination of King Vegeta," he said, and pressing two fingers against his forehead, immediately disappeared with Mrs. Alva.

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Baga looked around. He was in a strange place. It was dark, and there was fog everywhere. His armor was gone. He felt cold, and numb. "Hello?" he called, and his voice merely echoed back to him.

Then he felt a presence, a familiar one, and suddenly, he felt comfort and warmth as a tail brushed up against his. "Mama?" he asked, turning around in surprise.

Gine smiled down at her boy, equally unclothed. "Baga," she said softly, looking him over. "You've grown," she said.

Baga shifted slightly. "Not all that much, Mama. Not like Beet," he said, scratching the back of his head. "But I'm learnin' a lot! Matou showed me how to cook, and I'm real good at it! I use your butcher knife every day!" he said, grinning.

Gine's smile brightened. "I'm so proud of you, Baga. You're the one I never had to worry about. I always knew you'd find your own way," she said.

Baga frowned. "So… are you a ghost or somethin'? Or…" he asked.

Gine's expression turned sad. "Baga… you're dying," she said, glancing around them. "This is one of the gates to Otherworld. I've been waiting here for your father," she said with a sigh.

"But… Mama, Papa's already dead," Baga replied, confused.

Gine scowled, crossing her arms. "I know. King Yemma sent him straight to HFIL. When he does his time, though, he'll come back by here, and I'll see him again," she said, smirking. "King Yemma doesn't think I'll wait the whole time, he thinks I'll give in and go into the gate to Otherworld," she said.

Baga smirked at that. "Guess he don't know much about Saiyans," he said.

Gine turned her scowl to Baga. "Neither do _you_ , apparently," she said, looking him over critically. "Look at you, dying from _poison_ , Baga? Really? You're not really giving in that easily, are you?" she asked.

Baga scowled. "Hey, it's not my fault!" he exclaimed.

Suddenly, he felt his mother backhand him across the face. "It doesn't _matter_ whose fault it is, Baga! What matters is what you're going to _do_ about it!" she said, narrowing her eyes. "Are you my son, Baga? Are you Bardock's son? Are you going to stay here? Standing around, doing nothing? Are you really going to leave your family behind, to figure things out for themselves? And what about your sisters?" she demanded.

Baga frowned, rubbing his face where she had slapped him. "Raditz is smart, he'll hold stuff together. It ain't like he really needs me," he said, scowling. "Besides, I can't really control whether or not I _die_ ," he said.

Gine punched him in the jaw, then, sending him flying backwards, then grabbed him by the hair and hauled him to his feet. "You're the _only_ one who can control it, Baga!" she hissed, and punched him in the stomach. "Under no circumstances will you die today, Baga! If you do, you will spend eternity right here, with me kicking your little ass, until your father comes out of HFIL! And if you knew anything about your father's past, you'd know that's not going to be for a very, _very_ long time!" she said, dropping him onto the floor.

Baga looked up at her, fire in his eyes, close to losing control, close to attacking his mother. He could hear his oldest brother's voice in the distance, urging him on to fight.

Gine smirked, nodding. "That's it. That's the way. Now…" she said, getting into a stance. " _Fight me!_ "

All control breaking, Baga rushed at his mother.

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Kakarot stood in the corner of the dark room, his arms crossed, watching the old woman sleep in the chair in the center of the room. It was in one of the lower levels of King Vegeta's castle, with no windows and only one door. There were electric lights, built into the floor, but they were currently set to be dim. The chair was the only thing in the room, as an extension of the floor, molded from the same lava-turned-obsidian that the walls and floor were made from. It was a room built for interrogation, not for prolonged imprisonment. Saiyans didn't tend to keep prisoners for very long.

"Kakarot," a gruff voice said, and the man glanced up to see King Vegeta standing in the door. Vegeta was looking at him quizzically, then at the old woman, and grunted, crossing his arms. "This the one that tried to poison me?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

Kakarot gave a nod, turning his eyes back to the old woman.

Vegeta frowned in confusion. "Then why is she still alive?" he asked, looking at his Royal Guard. Kakarot could be a clown sometimes, but their time on Saru's planet had turned him into a cold, efficient killer when he had to be. The speed with which he had dispatched Paragus was testament to that. And yet, here he was, staring at this woman, uncertainty rolling off of him in waves. "I haven't seen you this conflicted since the first time you faced your grandfather in the Forest of Lies," he remarked, his tone subdued, though his scowl remained.

Kakarot didn't look at the king. "Back then, you told me my soft-heartedness would get me killed," he said softly, scowling. "I never really had a problem with that. But… but I swore I'd never let it get _you_ killed," he said, his fists clenched. "And now, I'm lookin' right at the one who poisoned Baga, who tried to poison you, and…" he turned away, facing the far wall. "Papa would be ashamed of me," he said softly.

Suddenly, he felt a warm pressure against his back, and King Vegeta stood behind him, his arms crossed, back against his. Kakarot was instantly reminded of the nights they spent beside the fire in that forest, where Kakarot would protect Vegeta while they slept, where they would sometimes speak of things they would never mention or acknowledge during the day. "Kakarot. Is your father here?" he asked, his tone one of barely masked impatience.

Kakarot frowned. "No, Sire," he said, confused.

Vegeta grunted. "Then who the fuck cares what he would think?" he said gruffly. "What should concern you more at the moment, is what _I_ would think. I'm your _king,_ and you're my _royal guard_. The moment you found the one responsible, you should have been ready to snap her neck," he said. He then narrowed his eyes. "Unless you brought her here so that _I_ could do it personally?" he asked, and his tone hinted that he wouldn't be at all upset if that were the case.

Kakarot straightened at that. "No, Sire. I will take care of this, she harmed _my_ family," he said, his eyes hard.

Vegeta gave a nod. "See that you do, Kakarot. Make it quick if you have to, but get it done. She chose death the moment she decided to attack a Saiyan. Honor her request," he said, and with that, walked out the door.

Kakarot turned to the old woman in the chair. _Honor her request_ , the king had said. She _was_ quite old, but he knew from his experience with Grandpa Gohan that humans didn't see getting old as a bad thing, and tried to live as long as they could. Frowning, he decided he needed to know one thing first. Gently, he reached out, waking Mrs. Alva up.

The old woman blinked sleepily, then looked up at him and smiled her toothless grin. "Oh, hello, dear. Sorry I nodded off on you earlier, it happens when you get to be my age," she said, looking around. "Oh, my… where are we? Could have sworn we were at my shop…" she said, confused.

Kakarot frowned. "You gave poisonous spices to my brother, Baga. He was going to serve it to the king, but he tasted the food first, so now he's dying," he said, his eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched. "Before I _kill_ you, I want to know why," he said darkly.

Mrs. Alva's expression became grim. "Oh, dear, that poor boy. From my _spices_ , you say?" she asked, and shook her head. "Why, I had no idea that cinnamon was poisonous to Saiyans. It's such a common spice, too," she said ruefully. "Poor Baga, he was such a good boy…" she said softly, her voice cracking.

Kakarot took a step back. "You mean… it was an accident?" he asked, confused. Part of him wanted to believe her, but the other part of him knew he'd been tricked before. _Multiple times_.

The old woman shook her head. "It isn't right. The young shouldn't go before the old, else, what's the point of growing old? He's too young, far too young, so full of dreams and talent. It isn't right," she said, beginning to sob. "Go ahead and do it, young one. Kill me. I'm too old to go on, not if I'm responsible for the death of the young. May the Guardians forgive me," she said, sniffling.

Some of the nerve Kakarot had gathered before after his talk with Vegeta left him then, and he was torn between what he felt was right, and what he knew he had to do. Once again, he felt like he was in the Cage, facing against that small, scared alien, knowing it wasn't right, but it was necessary. Ashamed of himself, he stepped forward again. "I'll make it quick," he said gently, hating everything about this. "You won't even know it happened," he promised. He was quite a bit more skilled than he had been in the Cage, he was more than capable of fulfilling his promise.

Mrs. Alva looked up at him bravely. "Young one, before you do it… just know, I'm sorry for Baga. I never meant to hurt anyone. He was such a good boy. If… if I see him on the other side…" she said, her voice choking up.

"What's all this talk about seein' me on the other side? I ain't dead, yet," a weak voice came from the door. Kakarot spun around, his eyes wide, as Baga stood there, supported by Beet.

"Baga? You're…. what are you doing, you're too weak to be up like this," Kakarot said, scowling as he rushed to his little brother's side.

Baga scowled at him. "I just had Mama kickin' my ass all the way to here from Otherworld, and I just beat death. I ain't gettin' called weak by my own family anymore today," he said, and looked over at Mrs. Alva. "You ain't about to kill Mrs. Alva, are you? She's got the best nose in the business, I get all my best stuff from her," he said, smirking at the old lady, who was still sobbing. "Look, ya gone and made her cry!"

Kakarot frowned, his gaze hard. "She's been selling poisonous spices. Whether she meant to or not, she's dangerous," he said warningly.

"Mrs. Alva didn't poison me," Baga said, rolling his eyes. He started to make his way towards her, and Beet walked with him, refusing to let Baga walk on his own power. When they got close enough, Baga said, "Mrs. Alva… Turles said somethin' was mixed in with the stuff you gave me," he said. Kakarot glanced at him curiously… Baga's tone was mischievous, like he was up to something.

The old woman's sobs died instantly, and she scowled. "They did _what?_ Who mixed something with my spices?! My spices are _pure_ , I handle every part of producing them, I grind them myself! None of my spices are _ever_ mixed!" she insisted, standing up angrily. "Show me who did this to my spices, I'll kill 'em myself!" she declared.

Kakarot's eyes were wide, and he looked back at Baga, who had a smug look on his face. "See, Kaka? Told ya she didn't do it," he said, crossing his arms. "If Mrs. Alva meant to poison me, the only thing in that bag would be poison, plain and simple," he said, earning a nod from the elderly woman. He then scowled. "But… before I left her booth, there were two human cubs there, messin' with me. The girl lured me away, and the boy would've been there with the spices, with just Mrs. Alva watchin'," he said.

Mrs. Alva raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I don't remember that…" she said, stroking her chin thoughtfully.

Baga raised an eyebrow. "No offense, Mrs. Alva, but you could be eaten by a dinosaur, and not notice," he said, shaking his head ruefully.

The old woman chuckled. "Yes, I suppose you're right," she said.

Beet turned to Kakarot. "Uncle Kaka… Turles went to talk to the king. Can… can you let Mrs. Alva go? Please?" he asked.

Kakarot turned to Mrs. Alva, his expression unreadable. "Mrs. Alva," he said, as they all held their breath. "Sorry for thinkin' you tried to kill Baga," he said, scratching the back of his head.

The two cubs laughed, relieved, but Mrs. Alva looked serious. "Young one… if the real culprit is a couple of children, then I wish it _had_ been me," she said, frowning. The two of them shared a look, and Kakarot gave a nod.

"Come on, Mrs. Alva. I'll walk you back to your booth," Baga offered, but Beet scowled at him.

"You ain't walkin' nowhere, idiot, except right back to bed. Turles said take it easy, remember?" he chided.

Mrs. Alva smiled. "Oh, don't worry, you two, I'll be fine. This handsome young man can take me," she said, slipping her arm around Kakarot's before he could protest. She looked up at him, batting her eyes. "Oh, please help an old woman find her way back, would you?" she asked.

Kakarot blinked, then scratched the back of his head. "Uh, yeah, sure!" he said, chuckling nervously. "It's the least I can do," he said, a bit more seriously, and began to walk with her out the door.

As they turned the corner in the hall, Baga watched as Mrs. Alva reached behind and pinched Kakarot's buttocks, causing him to yelp. Baga shared a glance with Beet, and the two of them started to laugh.

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Three nights later, Beet waited behind Mrs. Alva's booth, biting his lip. Beside him, stood Engie and Doragastu, both looking equally uncomfortable gathering there. "Why a spice shop, again?" Engie asked, frowning.

Beet frowned. "It's on the other side of the arena from our home, and the spices hide our scent. You said to be discreet," he pointed out.

Engie rolled his eyes. "I meant, don't tell anyone we're meeting. This place is givin' me a headache," he said. All of the powerful scents were enough to overwhelm any Saiyan. The flat-topped engineer glanced at Doragastu. "Come on, moon-wrong, back me up," he said.

Doragastu raised an eyebrow. "To chastise a job too well done is to ensure it's never done that well again," he said, absently poking into a sack of something that quickly made him sneeze.

Engie covered his face with one hand. "Why are we bringin' him?" he asked.

Beet cast Doragastu a glance. "Same reason I'm bringin' you. 'Cause he's a good fighter and he says what he thinks, even when it pisses people off," he said.

"Ha! You're bringin' _me_ 'cause you need someone who knows at least something about alien space craft, and I know _everything_ about it," Engie said gruffly.

"That, too," the cub conceded, smirking.

"You guys are lucky Kaka knows what we're doin' or the jig would be up," a voice said, and Baga stepped out of the shadows. His ki was still low, and he had a bit of a waver to his step, but was well on his way to recovery. He smirked, and tossed something to Engie, who caught it. "Should be provisions in there for a year. But that don't mean stay away that long. You better have plenty left when you get back, so we can get good 'n drunk while you tell me why the hell you're even doin' this," he said, glaring at Beet meaningfully.

Beet merely responded like he had before, and smirked. "Thanks for the help, Baga. I really appreciate it."

Baga rolled his eyes, and glanced at the other two. "Can you two at least promise me to keep him alive?" he demanded, his gaze hard.

Engie smirked, ruffling Beet's hair. "Don't worry, cub, we've got him. Right, moon-wrong?" he asked, casting Doragastu a side-ways glance.

Doragastu stepped forward meaningfully, and placed a fist over his heart. "I swear to you, Baga, son of Bardock, that I will protect Beet with my very life," he said solemnly, causing everyone gathered there to blink.

"Uh… thanks, Doragastu," Beet said, breaking the awkward silence that typically ensued whenever Doragastu spoke. He gave Baga a meaningful glance. "And you better survive until I get back," he said.

Baga smirked, crossing his arms again. "Oh, don't worry, I don't plan on dyin' any time soon. Mama's got some kinda super-powers on the other side or somethin', and she said she'd kick my ass for eternity if I died before leavin' any cubs," he said, earning a chuckle from Engie and Beet. Doragastu smirked slightly, which was pretty much the same thing with him.

Baga turned around. "Get the hell out of here, you guys, before Raditz gets up. That liquor I gave him packs a punch, but it won't last forever," he said over his shoulder as he walked off.

Beet turned to the other two, smirking. "Come on," he said, and the three of them took to the air, disappearing into the night sky.

 **A/N: That's the end of episode 2! Okay, fear not, the beginning of episode 3 should be up this weekend, too!**


	5. Possession, Part 1

**POSSESSION, PART 1**

"Violet, what the hell?!" a young male's voice came from inside the domicile, clearly heard even over the loud crying of babies. A Saiyan female with platinum-blonde hair and an impossibly large sword strapped to her back ran up the winding path to the right door, and pushed her way in.

What she saw inside startled her. Zucchi was there, picking up one of the newborn cubs, stripping off its soiled pink outfit. The other two were still laying in their own filth, crying themselves hoarse. Violet was lying on the bed next to them, still wearing her armor and red sleeve, giggling at Zucchi. All around her she could see pieces of trash, and what looked like a plate, with a syringe, some white powder, and a spoon.

Confident that Zucchi was able to see to the cubs, Orin rushed to Violet's side. "Violet, are you alright?" she asked, concerned with how lethargic she seemed to be. She glanced at Zucchi. "What's wrong with her?" she asked, frowning.

Zucchi scowled. "See that stuff on the plate next to her?" he asked, using the sink to gently clean the crying cub in his arms. "It's a kind of poison humans like to take, to make themselves stop caring about shit. It doesn't kill them… _usually_ … but it makes them completely useless," he said, and wrapped the now clean cub in a towel. "She does this shit every night lately. I swear, if I didn't show up, these cubs would never get fed," he growled.

Orin frowned at Violet. "Why? She… she knows she has cubs to look after. Is she hoping they'll wander?" she asked, confused.

Zucchi shook his head. "Human cubs don't wander, not 'till they're older, and human laws make them responsible for their cubs even if they do wander, Snow told me. Her problem is, she just don't give a shit," he said, picking up another cub. "Grab Kirisa and help me out, I wanna get these three fed, Beerus knows how long they've gone without milk. They can't drink any of _her_ poison," he said, glaring at Violet over his shoulder before going back to his task.

Orin gently lifted the sniffling cub from the bed, and stripped her clothes off, nearly gagging at the smell. When Zucchi moved away from the sink, she carefully brought the cub under the running water, making sure to hold her firmly so she wouldn't squirm out of her grasp. Once done, she grabbed another towel, and glanced at Zucchi, who was now holding both of the other cubs. "Mind helping me out?" he asked. "I know a place where they can get all the milk they want," he said.

Orin smirked, holding the cub close to her. "Try and stop me," she said, and the two of them left with the cubs, flying into the air.

They landed in a forest not too far away from the Ox Kingdom. Zucchi motioned for Orin to be very quiet, and led her through the trees to a large hole worn beneath the roots of one large tree. Within the hole was a wolf lying on her side, with two small cubs suckling beside her. The mother made to rise, but Zucchi made a sound in his throat, leveling his gaze at her. The mother then relaxed with a sigh, and her cubs kept suckling. Zucchi placed one of the cubs in his arms at the mother's belly, easing the wolf's small teat into the half-saiyan cub's mouth. The little one suckled as though she did this all the time.

Orin watched in awe as Zucchi placed the cubs at the mother wolf's teats one at a time. She knew better than to speak, lest she spook the wolf or her cubs. When all three of Violet's cubs were done, she picked up two of them while Zucchi took the other one, and followed him away from the little hole.

Zucchi shot her a glance. "Sure you can carry both Sai, Daggra, _and_ that giant sword of yours?" he quipped, holding Kirisa close as she dozed against his armored chest.

Orin shot him a scowl. " _Please_. These cubs weigh nothing. Have you been feeding them from that same old wolf all this time?" she asked, concerned.

Zucchi shrugged. "That wolf lost four of her cubs to a saber toothed tiger by the time I found her. I had the tiger for dinner, and fed the mama wolf some of its meat while she tended the other two, so she trusts me," he said. "The first time Violet pulled this shit was a few days after the triplets were born. I figured the mama wolf owed me one, and so far, she hasn't complained," he explained. He smirked in triumph when he saw a group of bushes covered in dark purple berries. "Here we go. Breakfast, part two," he said, and laid Kirisa on the grass. Orin smiled, and, laying her sisters down beside her, began to help him pick the dark berries.

Once Zucchi had a handful, he would crush the berries in his hand, get some on one finger, and stick it into one of their mouths. Orin thought it was a little gross, but not to be outdone, she did the same, feeding crushed berries to the infant cubs. As she did so, she glanced at Zucchi. "You're good with cubs," she said, smirking slightly. "You'll make a good father."

Zucchi cast her a mischievous glance, and Orin blushed. They'd flirted back and forth for a few months before finally making their partnership official not long ago. If it weren't for the three cubs they were currently caring for, this would likely turn into more of the same. As it was, however, Orin broke their gaze, but her coy smile remained.

Zucchi continued to feed the ravenous cubs, until they began to fall asleep. He sighed, wiping his now purple hands on the grass. "I don't know what to do about Violet," he said softly, as Orin came to sit next to him. "I can't skip out of training every day, and these cubs need to be tended more than what I can tend them. If Nappa knew Violet was doin' this shit, he'd have killed his own mate," he said. "Or at least gave the cubs to someone else if they were unwanted."

Orin scowled. "Why not claim head of household? Nappa took you in, didn't he?" she asked.

Zucchi shook his head. "I was everyone's. Bein' treated like family ain't the same as actually bein' family," he said ruefully. "I'm my own, now, I got no rights on his family anymore."

Orin smirked. "Well… except for the rights that you _take,_ " she said.

Zucchi frowned, casting her a strange look. "You want me to steal Violet's cubs?" he asked incredulously.

"I want _us_ to steal Violet's cubs," Orin replied, her expression fierce. "Either one of us is stronger than Violet, and from what I saw, she doesn't seem to want them anyway. Possession is whatever you have that you can _keep_. She let her guard down, and wasn't able to keep them, and now we have them. They are ours, by law," she said, liking the idea more and more as she said it aloud.

Zucchi blinked. "That don't apply to people. They ain't slaves," he said, glancing at the cubs.

Orin shrugged. "If they wanna go back to their birth mother, they're welcome to do so… as soon as they're able to do it on their own," she said smugly. "Until then, we can claim them for ourselves," she said. She raised a questioning eyebrow at Zucchi.

Zucchi gazed at the sleeping triplets, and smirked. "Alright. I claim these cubs as mine," he declared. "Shoulda done it in the first place," he said, and suddenly, Orin's lips were on his, and the two laughed and rolled around in the grass.

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Beet looked over Engie's shoulder at the readings on the screen. "So that means another ship's coming close?" he asked hesitantly.

They had only been travelling in the old Namekian ship for a week now, but Beet was starting to get the hang of how to read the computer's read-outs, even without his scouter. His question was really more of an expression of nervousness. They hadn't met any aliens up until now, the only ones he'd ever seen, he had destroyed in protection of the planet Earth. His tail twitched slightly around his waist, and he bit his lip.

Engie sighed. This cub might be stronger than the both of them, but his lack of confidence was sure to get them all killed. Knowing he was likely to regret it, he did what any Saiyan with a sense of pride would do. He growled warningly, and stood and turned towards Beet, preparing to fight.

Beet was startled, but quickly recovered, realizing his mistake. He glared at Engie, calling his ki to himself, and said, his teeth clenched, "Sit your ass down, Engie. _Now_."

Engie held his gaze for a long moment, then, satisfied, gave a single nod and sat down, hiding a smirk. It really shouldn't take a pretend mutiny to teach the cub how to handle command of a group. The cub's age did him no favors in that respect; neither did the peaceful nature of the planet he was growing up on. But, Saiyan culture respected strength, and Beet was the strongest of the three of them. That, and the fact that only he knew what their mission really was, put him in charge. But, _being_ in charge, and _staying_ in charge, were two different things. Engie wasn't going to be led by a weakling, either physically, or mentally. Since it wouldn't profit him at all to try to kill Beet, that meant making sure Beet was no weakling.

Beet narrowed his eyes in thought, careful to keep his body language calm and confident. "Is the ship part of Frieza's army?" he asked, making certain this time to only ask questions he didn't already know the answers to.

Engie shook his head. "Nah, but it'd be better if it were. That ship's from the Galactic Patrol," he said, the words leaving a bad taste in his mouth. Doragastu tensed at that, spinning around in his chair. Engie noticed, and chuckled. "What's wrong, moon-wrong? Had some run-in with the Galactic Patrol yourself, huh?"

Doragastu's expression was dark. "There was a…. _misunderstanding_ ," he said, frowning.

Engie laughed at that. "Every conversation with you is a misunderstanding," he said, shaking his head ruefully. "You're tellin' me this one over drinks. If we're not locked up in energy dampeners by the time this is over," he added.

Beet frowned. "What are they, then? If they don't work for Frieza, who do they work for?" he asked.

Engie grunted. "The Galactic Patrol is the shield protecting millions of stars, the blazing torch of justice _,_ " he said sardonically, rolling his eyes.

Beet raised an eyebrow at that. "So… they're the good guys?" he asked, confused.

"The truly good are like a beautiful woman scowling at her reflection in the mirror," Doragastu said, scowling as he made an adjustment to the ship's sensors. "The Galactic Patrol is an old hag who declares herself the most beautiful, while breaking every mirror she sees."

Engie shot the purple-eyed warrior a strange look. "You know… I must be spending too much time around you, moon-wrong. That's the most sense I've ever heard you make," he said, and glanced at Beet. "Pretty much what Doragastu just said. I say, let's one of us hop out of the ship, blow the other ship to kingdom come, and just keep goin'," he said, raising an eyebrow.

Beet glanced at Doragastu, who shrugged non-commitally. He frowned. "We're not gonna destroy every alien ship we come across, unless they attack us first," he said, scowling. "Got it?"

Engie grunted. "Guess everyone's gotta learn sometime," he said, as a light came up on his monitor. "Great. They're hailing us," he said, casting Beet a look.

Beet nodded. "Open the line," he said, turning his attention to the main screen. With a shrug, Engie did so, and an alien with green skin and white armor with a strange symbol on it appeared on the screen.

"Attention vessel! You will cease your flight immediately and prepare to be boarded," the alien said in no uncertain terms.

Beet blinked for a moment, then crossed his arms, scowling. "Why?" he asked.

The alien cocked his head. "Why? You are breaking the inter-galactic speed limit, that is why! Only emergency vehicles are permitted to go that fast! Are you a licensed emergency vehicle?" he asked condescendingly.

Beet frowned. "No…"

"Then you'll stop and allow us to board. Failure to do so will result in a mark on your permanent record, and your addition to the galaxy's most wanted list!" the green alien declared.

Engie cast Beet a glance, but Beet held the alien's attention. "We didn't know there was a speed limit. We're new to this part of the galaxy. We'll just go more slowly from now on," he said reasonably.

The alien stared at him for a long moment, then whispered to someone off to the side, before speaking again. "I'll accept that you are new to this part of the galaxy, young one. That is why I am not going to destroy your ship for refusing to stop. The _first time_ ," he said, his eyes narrowing. "The second time, I will not be so lenient. I ask you again. Stop your craft, and prepare to be boarded," he said.

Beet regarded the alien for a long time, then gestured to Engie. When Engie hesitated, he glared at the older man, until Engie put in the commands to stop the ship.

The alien smiled. "Good. We will see you soon," he said, and the picture on the view screen went out.

"What the he-" Engie began, but Beet's fist was crashing against his face, and he went flying into the far bulkhead.

"Don't you _ever_ question my orders in front of aliens like that again!" Beet said, his aura spiking around him. Engie's eyes widened, and he gave a single nod. Beet calmed down, and glanced at Doragastu. "Doragastu, get the ship ready for them to board. Engie, tell me everything you know about the Galactic Patrol's laws. I wanna make a good impression on our guests," he said, his eyes hooded.

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Violet awoke feeling sick to her stomach. Bleary-eyed, she made her way to the sink to wash her face, then noticed the soiled baby clothes on the counter next to the sink. Looking around, she started to notice something wasn't right, but couldn't put her finger on what.

"Violet, you in here?" a woman's voice asked, and Meron stuck her head in the door. The Saiyan had taken over head of the EDS after Chi-chi died, being the strongest of the females, and having the most experience with various fighting styles. Violet didn't know much about Meron as a person, preferring the company of animals to people, but of the people she had to deal with, Meron used to be one of the least annoying. However, when she took over the position of commander of the EDS, she seemed to make it her personal mission to see that _every member_ become just as strong as she was, human or not. And she, like the rest of her race it seemed, had no concept of privacy.

Upon spotting Violet, she came in, looking the bleary-eyed woman over. "You're sweating. And you stink," she said, frowning as she glanced around. "Did you already take your cubs to Snow?" she asked.

Violet felt like she'd been punched in the gut. "My cubs!" she said, glancing around frantically. _That_ had been what was missing! "Where the hell are my cubs?!" she demanded.

Meron frowned. "You don't know?" she asked, instantly concerned. With the recent attempt on King Vegeta's life, talk had spread that humans were attacking them in the most cowardly ways imaginable. Though, why they would steal Saiyan cubs instead of just killing them, was beyond Meron… "Could they have wandered?" she asked.

Violet glanced at her incredulously. "They're babies. They can't even hold their heads up yet. They were here last night, right here on the bed," she said, picking up soiled blankets to look under them, careful not to upset the plate on the bed. "Someone had to take them," she said, her eyes darting to every corner of the room. "What if they're still here?" she whispered, her hand reaching for the rocket launcher she kept propped up next to her bedside.

"No one else is here," Meron said confidently, her nose wrinkling at the state the room was in. She had been in filth like this before, most of her life, in fact. But there was running water, here, and people were free to go about as they pleased. Why was this human living like a slave?

Suddenly, Violet began to sob, and Meron scowled. "Stop that!" she demanded, causing Violet to stop suddenly, eyes widened in surprise. "Someone took your cubs. Get that gun of yours and go find the assholes who did it, make them wish they never crossed you!" she said.

Violet wiped her eyes, which turned cold, and she gave a nod. Reaching for her rocket launcher, she strapped it onto her back, and picked up a utility belt full of capsules that she wore everywhere. With that, she stormed out the door, in search of whoever dared take her cubs. Smirking in approval, and ready to be as far away as possible from the overpowering smell, Meron followed her out.

They didn't have to search for long. They soon saw Zucchi and Orin landing in the arena, with Violet's cubs. Frantically, Violet ran up to them, relief coming off of her in waves as she checked to make sure they were all still breathing. Then she turned her glare at Zucchi. "What the hell, Zucchi! I told you, if you're gonna take 'em somewhere, let me know first!" she said, scowling.

Zucchi's cold glare made her stop short. "Nappa should never have accepted you as a mate," he said, his eyes hard.

Violet's teeth clenched at that remark, and her eyes narrowed. "How dare you even _speak_ his name!" she hissed. She looked down at the cub in his arms. "Give me my children," she demanded.

"They're mine, now," Zucchi said, holding the cub close. "I claim them."

Suddenly, Meron was aware of silence around them, as those who were sparring in the arena suddenly stopped, looking on with interest. Nothing captured the interest of Saiyans like a real fight. Meron sighed. "This doesn't get solved out here, not with cubs," she said, narrowing her eyes at them. "Follow me," she said, and turned and walked straight for King Vegeta's castle.

Knowing Meron outranked him, and that she was right, Zucchi cast another cold glare at Violet, then he and Orin followed Meron, with an angry Violet close behind.

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Beet, Engie, and Doragastu stood nearby as the airlock opened, revealing a number of aliens of different colors and shapes, all wearing that strange white armor, all carrying blasters. When the green alien from the viewscreen stepped out of the airlock, Beet stepped forward. "Welcome to our ship," he said casually, pointedly ignoring the blasters aimed at them.

The green alien looked him over warily. Then, his eyes landed on his tail, and on the tails of the other two, wrapped around their waists. He gasped, taking a step back. "S-saiyans!" he gasped, and Beet frowned, curious at the reaction. Suddenly, the others stepped back in fear, their eyes wide, and Beet felt as if a fist was gripping his insides.

"It's okay… we won't hurt you," Beet said, holding his hands up. Engie scowled at him and Doragastu frowned, but Beet stood by it, scowling. "We aren't a threat to you. Like I said, we're just passing through," he said evenly.

The green alien took in the scene, and then began to relax. "So… you don't work for Frieza?" he asked.

Beet scowled. "Our king killed Frieza," he said. "We're not like him. We… we come in peace," he said, knowing his father would knock him upside the head for admitting such a thing. Saiyans were _not_ meant to be peaceful.

The aliens glanced at each other, and the green one, the one in charge, stood a little taller. "Well, if that can be verified, then you will be considered heroes of the Galactic government. Until then, however… you'll understand my suspicion. We'll need to search this entire ship from top to bottom, to make certain you aren't up to anything illegal," he said, frowning.

Beet gave a nod. "Search away, we have nothing to hide," he said, crossing his arms.

Immediately, the aliens began to scatter through the ship. ' _We come in peace?!'_ Engie's voice said to him telepathically. Beet hadn't expected it, and tensed slightly, but it went unnoticed by the aliens around them.

' _If they ran away, they'd have come back with more ships,'_ Beet's mind replied. _'You told me they were cowardly. Once they see we have nothing to hide, they'll send us on our way, and we don't have to keep looking over our shoulders.'_

"Uh, sir, look at this!" a blue alien with orange dots on his face said. He brought the green alien a bag full of orange glowing sticks.

"Chem sticks, huh?" the green alien said, turning a suspicious glare to the Saiyans. "So, you go speeding through the sector, selling chem sticks, and you expect us to believe you come in peace?!" he asked.

Beet glanced at Engie. "What are chem sticks?" he asked, confused.

Engie was glaring at the alien. "A poison. One only idiots would use. You honestly think that Saiyans would take anything that makes us incapable of _fighting_?!" he demanded.

The green alien narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps not. Perhaps you sell it to unsuspecting citizens, then trick them into fighting you while they're at their weakest? Perhaps you Saiyans aren't as fearsome as you're rumored to be… perhaps this is how you win ALL of your fights!" he accused triumphantly.

Engie was growling, but Beet put up a hand. "That stuff ain't ours. I don't know how it got on our ship, unless your men put it there," he said, his eyes narrowed.

The green alien smirked. "That's what they all say. You three are under arrest, for the dangerous operation of a space vehicle, and the possession and possible sale of illegal substances," he said, and suddenly, a green energy field appeared around them, and Beet felt like he was being drained of all of his energy. The three Saiyans fell to their knees. "It's an energy absorption barrier. Quite ingenious, isn't it? In that field, you have about as much energy as a sponge. Just wait until I bring in three Saiyan prisoners, I'm going to be promoted for certain!" he said gleefully, and turned a dial on his wrist. Suddenly, Beet's vision began to go black, and then…

There was nothing.

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King Vegeta hated being the king, sometimes.

Usually, it was perfect. He gave orders, others followed them without question. He made demands, they were fulfilled instantly. He was treated with the utmost respect by most everyone who crossed his path, Saiyans and Humans alike. Even the Ox King, who ruled the land their people had… _appropriated…_ provided him whatever he requested. He had good food, a feisty mate, a challenging sparring partner, and had defeated his people's worst enemy with his own two hands. Being king was _good_.

Except for when he had to deal with _this_ shit.

Vegeta scowled at the people in his throne room. The room wasn't very large, per Vegeta's specifications, and was actually pretty simple, with a single throne of obsidian, slightly elevated from the rest of the floor, and not much else in the room. He didn't use it all that often, primarily because he despised this part of being the king – handling disputes. In his opinion, the parts of being king that were worth doing, could be done without him sitting around. But at this moment, Vegeta pinched the bridge of his nose, leaning back on the hard obsidian throne as the human woman yelled at the young saiyan man. The saiyan and his mate were holding three small cubs, who were crying because of the noise, adding to Vegeta's headache. Others were in the room to act as witnesses, onlookers who had seen the original argument that had prompted this one. At one point, he held up his hand, and suddenly, everyone in the room hushed, except for the crying cubs. As the saiyan female worked to hush the cubs, Vegeta spoke.

"Alright, let me see if I have this straight," he said, turning to Zucchi. "You went into the human's home, while she was there, and took the cubs with no opposition?" he asked.

Zucchi gave a single nod, knowing better than to speak further unless asked.

Vegeta grunted, then turned to Violet. "And you didn't oppose him at the time, because you were… _ill_?" he asked, confused.

A movement from the side of the room caught his eye, and Vegeta gave a slight nod in Turles's direction. "Like chem sticks, only it's turned to liquid and pumped into your skin," he said, shrugging.

Vegeta's scowl deepened as he regarded Violet. "So, you left your wits on purpose, and your cubs were taken. That about right?" he asked.

Violet blushed, but covered it with a scowl. "Of course I did! What the hell else am I supposed to do?!" she demanded.

"You're supposed to tend your damned cubs!" Orin shouted at her, but was instantly silenced by a glance from Vegeta.

The king turned to Zucchi. "The woman's an idiot, but she was being an idiot in her own home. The cubs didn't wander, and they aren't property. Why do you want them?" he asked, already tired of this conversation.

Zucchi scowled. "Nappa took me in when I was everyone's. I owe it to him to see his cubs are treated as well as he treated me," he said simply. He glared at Violet. " _She'd_ see them starve to death."

"How _dare_ you! You have no right to even _mention_ Nappa after what you did!" Violet snarled, stepping towards him furiously. "You _murderer!_ " she spat, causing everyone's eyes to turn to Zucchi.

King Vegeta looked the boy over critically. It was common knowledge that Zucchi had been taken in by Nappa, and that he had been with Nappa on the old general's last mission. Zucchi had reported that Nappa died in battle, yet this human accused him of murdering him. But then… what was considered murder to humans was often different than what was considered murder to Saiyans, he had found.

Zucchi, to his credit, didn't falter under her accusation. "Nappa died in battle," he said evenly, the look in his eyes dangerous. Vegeta could tell he was protecting something.

Violet narrowed her eyes. "Yeah. After _you_ killed him!" she accused, her fists clenched.

It was all Zucchi could do to keep from blasting her right there, and his teeth were clenched when he spoke. "I don't expect a _human_ to understand," he said darkly, and suddenly Vegeta and every Saiyan in the room understood what must have happened. Suddenly, it was Violet who was being glared at, a fact that she seemed to be oblivious to when she spoke next.

"You're right. I _don't_ understand! I don't understand how you can walk around free, after killing your own general! He was wounded, he couldn't even-"

"Enough!" Vegeta bellowed, causing Violet to stop short. It was unspoken among Saiyans that a man's reputation after death was something to be more protected than his own life. "Nappa died in battle, against Frieza's forces," he said, glaring at everyone present in case anyone wished to say otherwise. He glanced between Violet and Zucchi, then his eyes went to the cubs. "Can the cubs hunt?" he asked, unsure of what these hybrid Saiyans were capable of.

"Not for another six months at least, Sire… and then, only small prey, not enough to feed themselves," Turles supplied, having been studying the hybrids with great interest since he arrived on this planet.

Vegeta gave a nod. "It's clear our laws don't fit these hybrids, then," he said, looking the helpless cubs over. He sighed. "Fine. Until the cubs can feed themselves, they're considered property, and can be owned by whoever is strong enough to keep them. _But,_ " he said, glaring at Zucchi and Orin, "once they can wander, they're free to choose their home, just like any other cub. Even their mother's home. And if you try this shit then, or if you get me involved in this one more time, I'll kick _both_ of your asses so hard, even this pathetic female will be able to pluck them from your arms. _Got that_?!" he demanded.

Both Zucchi and Orin knelt at that. "Yes, Sire," they said in unison.

Giving a nod, Vegeta turned to Violet, who was scowling angrily. "There. Your cubs are now possessions, for the time being. If you want them, go get them. Now, get the hell out of my throne room, all of you!" he yelled at them. Everyone bowed and left, with Violet storming out, glaring angrily at Zucchi.

 **A/N: Okay, peeps! Will Violet try to take her cubs back? What will happen to Beet, Engie, and Doragastu? Will Vegeta have to deal with any more headaches? Find out next time, on Dragonball ASF! :D**


	6. Possession, Part 2

**A/N: Okay, my dear readers, this ended up longer than the first part, sorry about that! I'll try to keep each half even, but the cut-off is the climax, not the number of pages. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! I'll probably have to wait to get the first part of the next episode up next weekend. One chapter per week seems to be my rate lately…**

 **POSSESSION**

 **PART 2**

After the upset that morning, things got back to normal for everyone else. Orin had been put on half-days by Meron. Half of the mothers in the Earth Defense Squad trained the first half of the day, while the other mothers watched all the cubs. The latter half of the day, they would switch. Orin had been put on the latter half, so she could still train that evening. She walked into the forest clearing where the other mothers had gathered, a baby in each arm and one strapped to her back, where her sword normally hung. Launch, Chicori, and Snow were there now, watching the steadily growing number of cubs, which was no easy feat. Snow glanced up at Orin as she arrived, eyebrow raised. "Where's Violet?" she asked, as Orin gently laid the cubs down on the soft grass.

Orin scowled. "Off licking her wounds somewhere, probably," she said. "She was leaving the cubs to starve in their own filth, so Zucchi and I stole them. King Vegeta ruled them to be property 'till they can fend for themselves, so now they're _our_ property," she said, smirking as she worked to unstrap Sai from her back.

"Property, huh?" Launch responded, scowling. She was blonde today, and Orin had come to learn that, when she was, she was just as ready for a fight as any Saiyan. It was when she had blue hair that things got… _weird_.

"Makes sense, if you think about it," Snow pointed out, gazing at Violet's cubs thoughtfully. "Human laws pretty much consider our children to be property until they're adults. When my parents got wished back, I had to get their permission to join Saiyan Village and the EDS. The police would have captured me and brought me back to them if that weren't the case," she said reasonably.

Launch cast Snow a glance. "Yeah… but you're forgettin', Saiyan laws don't protect property like human laws do. That's what Orin means… she was able to take Violet's kids 'cause she was stronger than Violet. That means anyone can take anyone else's kids, if they want, as long as they're strong enough to," she said, glancing down at Snip and her own growing belly.

Chicori grunted at that. "Good luck to anyone trying to take Kumato," she said, not taking her eyes off the red-haired cub wrestling with Parsi's dark-haired cub.

Orin groaned as she kept trying to unfasten Sai without ripping the carrier. "I don't know why anyone would want to go around stealin' cubs just to steal them," she said as she finally got the thing undone and lowered Sai down to the ground. "Taking care of cubs is hard work! Especially three at once…. why the hell do humans birth so many in the womb, anyway?!" she asked incredulously.

Launch smirked. "We usually don't. Violet was a triplet, herself. Triplets run in her family. You just lucked out, that's all," she said with a laugh. She got up and walked over to where the cubs were now lying in the grass. "Have they been eatin'?" she asked, frowning.

Orin sighed. "Zucchi's been taken' 'em to suckle on this old wolf he found. Whatever Violet's been puttin' in that needle makes her scent go funny, I don't think it's good for the cubs to drink her milk," she said.

Chicori looked pointedly at Launch, as did Snow. "What?" Launch demanded. "I'm already feedin' Gohan, and soon I'm gonna have another mouth to feed. What am I, a cow?" she asked, scowling at them. "What about you, Chicori? You've got one on the way, don't ya?"

Chicori shrugged. "Our cubs don't stay on milk as long as yours, I dried up the moment Kumato started bringing me dead animals," she said. Just then, Parsi's son bit Kamato, drawing blood, and Kamato howled in pain. Suddenly, fury flashed in his eyes, and the little battle got even more intense. Chicori merely smiled.

Snow looked at Orin. "Have you tried cow's milk?" she asked.

"Won't work," Launch said, shaking her head. "Cow's milk might be alright for humans, but I tried it with Beet, and it was like I was starvin' the poor boy to death. Stuff's like water to Saiyan cubs," she said with a shrug. "Wolf milk, though… never thought of that. That ain't all you're feedin' 'em, is it?" she asked.

Orin shook her head. "We gave them crushed berries, too, but…" she frowned. "When can they eat meat? They barely have any teeth…" she asked dubiously.

Launch smirked. "It's called baby food. Ask Matou for some, they thrive on the stuff. He grinds raw meat into a paste, and mixes it with ground up cooked vegetables. Snip ate the crap out of that stuff, and now she holds her own as good as any of the other cubs," she said, shrugging as she glanced at the adorable cub with the curly blonde hair, who was currently approaching Violet's cubs on the ground. Launch frowned. " _Snip,_ " she said sharply, and the little toddler turned her way. "Too young. Play with the others," she said warningly.

Orin frowned. "I don't want Nappa's cub getting' weak," she said, scowling at the fact that another mother had to protect the cubs she'd taken charge of.

Launch didn't take her eyes off of Snip. "Let 'em learn to sit up before you let 'em anywhere close to Snip," she said, as the toddler, who realized her mother was not going to stop watching her, turned to toddle away.

Chicori shot Orin a glance. "She's right. Snip's a little monster," she said, eyeing the curly-haired toddler warily. "She's sneaky and vindictive. Nearly killed Leriac during nap time once. Now the damned cub won't sleep a wink," she said, glancing at Parsi's cub, who was currently getting the crap beaten out of him by Kumato.

"I've got a lot to learn, it seems," Orin said, looking at the cubs with new eyes.

"We'll help you on that," Chicori said, and walking over to her, pointed to the baby carrier on her back. "Give me that sling of yours, let me see what I can do with it," she said, and Orin obliged, happy to have it off. It wasn't heavy, but it was awkward, and poked her in the side when the baby was in it. "Right now you need your head clear. I doubt Violet's going to stand by and watch you raise her cubs," she pointed out.

Launch frowned. "Shit, she's right," she said, color draining from her face. "You crossed _Violet_."

Orin crossed her arms. "Just let her try something," she said, smirking.

Launch shook her head. "If she does, it's likely to be the last thing you see," she said, frowning. At the look from the others, she sighed. "Violet was a demolitions expert before I met her. She's a fire bug, kinda like Mai, only… Mai don't got a temper like Violet. She don't care if you're friend or enemy, either. She does what she wants to do, and no one can stop her," she said, scowling.

Orin raised an eyebrow. "No offense, Launch, but she's a human. She don't stand a chance against me, much less against both me and Zucchi."

Launch shook her head. "You Saiyans can be idiots sometimes," she said, glancing at Snip. "Look at that little girl there. She ain't fightin'. She's just wandering around, minding her own business, looks all sweet and innocent. And every cub who knows her is scared of her, they won't let their guard down around her for a second," she said, and looked back at Orin. "Violet's like Snip, Orin. She looks weak, but don't take your eyes off of her for a second. No one's ever crossed Violet and lived to tell about it," she said darkly.

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Beet opened his eyes groggily, and the first thing he was aware of, was that everything hurt. The second thing he was aware of, was that he couldn't move, his wrists, ankles, even his tail, were being held down by clamps to a wall.

The third thing he was aware of, was, that he felt like _shit._

"Oh, look, he's awake," he heard Engie mutter, and Beet's eyes followed the sound until they met Engie's, glaring coldly at him. He was clamped to the wall on Beet's right, and from the look of him, he felt pretty much like Beet did.

"Engie? What…" Beet asked, trying to remember what had happened and why they were there.

"Give him a minute," Doragastu's calm voice replied. Beet turned his head to his left; sure enough, there was the purple-eyed warrior, similarly clamped to the wall.

Suddenly, everything came to Beet in a rush, and his eyes grew wide. "The… Galactic Patrol?" he asked, gasping at his pounding headache.

"Yeah. Go figure," Engie grumbled, turning his glare to the clamps on their wrists. "Either their tech has improved significantly since last time, or they have a new benefactor. Used to be able to get through the crap they made with no sweat, but this shit… it'll take at least a day or so to figure it out," he said, frowning.

Beet bit his lip. "That… that bag of chem sticks… it wasn't ours. That means…"

"That _means_ , you don't trust aliens," Engie shot back, causing Beet to glare. Engie glared right back. "I know you're our leader and all, but while we're hanging here, with energy absorbers on our wrists, how about I say what's on my mind? You are a _dumb_ fucking cub. Baga was right to be worried, you would've gotten yourself killed out here on your own. Hell, you've probably gotten all of us killed already. You're lucky the Galactic Government likes to have their pretend trials, or we'd already be dead. I don't know if all that strength of yours makes you cocky, or if you're just too sheltered to be able to understand it, but no one out here _likes_ you. You aren't going to make any _friends_ out here. In fact, most people you meet out here are going to try to _kill_ you. Do you have any idea what kind of reputation our people have? Half of these aliens would give their left antennae for a chance to say they killed a Saiyan! And here you are, just handing them not only your life, but ours, as well!" he shouted. He then turned away. "Won't even tell us what this stupid mission is for, anyway," he said, glaring at the locked door across the room.

Beet was silent for a long moment, before he spoke. " _Engie… you're right…_ " he said softly.

Engie growled. " _What?!_ " he snarled, turning his furious glare to him. What he saw made him gasp. Beet's eyes were flashing colors, turning from their normal dark color, to the intense green of a Super Saiyan. " _How the_ …"

Beet's jaw was clenched. "Engie. Doragastu. _Survive,"_ he told them, scowling, as the wall they were clamped to began to shake.

Doragastu's eyes widened, and he shared a look with Engie, who nodded. Beet was unpredictable when he turned Super Saiyan. The more power he used, the less control of his actions he seemed to have. The fact he could even attempt the transformation now, with energy absorbers draining away so much of his energy, told of the unspoken depths of energy he had welling up within him.

There was no telling _what_ he would do with that much power.

The moment aliens began to frantically fill the prison cell, power exploded out of Beet, and suddenly, pieces of bulkhead and screaming aliens were flying everywhere…

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At lunch time, Zucchi and Orin met up again. Zucchi looked her over curiously. "What are you wearing?" he asked, gazing at the strange leather pouches attached to her armor.

"Our cubs," Orin said, smirking, and sure enough, Zucchi could see movement from within the pouches. "Chicori made it for me. The insides are lined with fur, and they're clamped onto this metal harness, so I can take it off and on, and have my hands free at all times," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "Still no room for my sword, but I guess I can go back to it when these cubs are old enough to follow me instead of just hanging there," she said, tickling Daggra, who cooed in delight. She cast a critical eye back at Zucchi. "You look like shit."

Zucchi sighed, finding them a place to sit, and made a spot for her. "Yeah, I was late to training, so Raditz put me with Broly," he said, grimacing as he sat down.

Orin grimaced in sympathy. "Broly, huh? Thought he trained with Kakarot?" she asked, snagging some food from the table.

"In the evenings, yeah. In the mornings, he trains with us. Usually he spars with Beet or Raditz, but Beet's gone on some scavenging mission with Engie and Doragastu, and Raditz… well, you know how he is about latecomers. Not that I'd have done any different," he said, smirking down at the little ones.

"Hey, Orin," a voice said from behind her, and she turned to see Baga standing there with a large bowl. "Matou said you'd need this, for the cubs. You guys are takin' over Violet's cubs, huh?" he asked, as she took the bowl from him.

Zucchi raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. You checked that for poison first, right?" he quipped, casting Baga a sideways glance.

Baga glared. " _Ha. Ha_. Funny," he said, having become used to being teased about being poisoned by now. "Though you're right to watch your backs," he said seriously.

Zucchi frowned. "Violet's made no challenge yet, doesn't look like she's going to," he said, shrugging.

Baga raised an eyebrow. "Humans don't always give challenges. They're sneaky, sometimes they just attack," he said, shrugging. "They're weaker than us, but it don't mean they ain't just as deadly. Believe me," he said, shaking his head. He turned his look back to Orin. "Matou says not to feed 'em cow's milk, by the way," he warned.

Orin gave a nod. "Yeah, Launch told me. We got milk covered. Thank Matou for me," she said, and Baga gave a nod before he ran back to the kitchen. She dipped her finger into the baby food and tasted it, waiting for any foul tastes or ill effects if it were poisoned. At Zucchi's look, she shrugged. "Cub's right. Humans are crazy, who knows what kind of shit they'll pull? You shoulda heard some of the stuff the other mothers were saying…" she said, shaking her head wryly.

"Hmm…" Zucchi said, and together they fed the little ones, making sure to also get their own fill of food.

After lunch, Orin dropped the cubs off with Snow. Gula and Parsi had come to help her, as they had trained that morning. She stopped to speak with Gula for a few minutes, and asked her if she would take special care of the three cubs should Violet decide to show up. She knew she could trust Gula, more than anyone… the older Saiyan female had practically raised her all those years on Yardrat. With Gula's promise that she would never allow Violet to come near the cubs while they were with her, Orin promptly left. Meron could be just as ruthless to latecomers as Raditz was.

Training was defensive drills again. Meron had precariously stacked six stacks of rocks, and split them off into groups of two. One member of each group stood beside a rock stack, protecting it, while the other attacked it. The idea was for the defenders not to allow the stack to fall down. And whatever attacker knocked down the rock stack first, got to pick the next teams… provided they only knocked down their target stack.

Orin often found Violet to be a very challenging opponent at this game, but today she was nowhere to be found, and the sixth stack went unguarded. However, instead of proceeding with the game with only five stacks, Meron announced that Orin would be protecting two stacks instead of just one. Orin had, of course, accepted the challenge readily, but wondered why Meron had done it, if it was to somehow punish her for her role in stealing Violet's cubs. She doubted it… Meron wasn't nearly that complex, if she didn't like something you did, she generally just beat your face in.

Orin didn't have too much time to wonder about it, as her opponent today was Nutz. Nutz had been more unhinged ever since the battle with Frieza's forces, and that really came out in training. Orin had to rely on pure instinct, as Nutz's attacks were illogical and erratic. Energy blasts were going everywhere, even towards other people's stacks, which were instantly deflected by the other defenders, who were used to dealing with Nutz. But Nutz was tall, and strong, and batshit crazy, which made her intimidating as hell. That intimidation worked on Orin, who already felt naked without her large sword, and was trying to protect two stacks of rocks from all that crazy barreling toward her. However, she stood her ground, refusing to abandon her post, and in that second, she realized just what Meron was trying to teach her.

Right before the world went black.

When she came to, Nutz was standing over her, as was Meron. Orin blinked and groaned, and Meron helped her up to her feet. Looking around, she saw that her two stacks of rocks had toppled. Bringing her hand to her throbbing head, she swallowed dryly and spoke. "Guess I lost, huh?" she asked.

Meron leveled a gaze at her. "You lost a game. With odds stacked against you. Winning wasn't important. What was?" she asked seriously.

Orin thought back to the battle, to that moment of clarity she'd experienced, just before she went down. "When the battle's against me, trusting my instincts is everything," she responded.

Meron gave her a single nod, then went to command everyone's attention for the next drill. Orin smirked. She would make a good mother to those cubs, or die trying. And next time, she wasn't going to go down so easily…

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Engie ran through the corridors, aware that Doragastu was following him, until he found a computer console. Frantically he accessed the ship's records, hacking past the security systems like they were nothing. "Beet went the other direction," Doragastu said, frowning as sirens went off throughout the ship.

"Yeah. That's why we went this way," Engie replied, typing as fast as he could. "He's gonna tear this ship apart. I'd like to not be on it when he does."

"He may include _himself_ in that destruction," Doragastu replied, scowling.

Engie rolled his eyes. "If the cub's _that_ stupid, then he deserves some time in the vacuum of space. You don't get smarter or stronger by havin' others save your ass all the time. He told us to survive, he didn't say anything about makin' sure he does," he said gruffly. "There it is," he said, smirking as he began to hack the codes necessary for the docking clamps to let go of the Namekian ship he found in the docking bay.

A group of four Galactic Patrolmen came around the corner, firing their blasters, and Doragastu quickly went into action, deflecting the blasts from Engie and using his superior speed to get close enough to snap the neck of one, kick one to the floor, knock one to the side with his elbow, and collapse the ribcage of another with a powerful punch, all in a matter of moments. Bringing up his foot, he crushed the head of one of the survivors, covering the floor with orange brain matter, and the other survivor desperately tried to crawl away, before he reached down and snapped its neck. He returned to Engie as though he'd done nothing, just as the older Saiyan was finishing his work. "Got it. Hangar bay's down that corridor," he said, and started to run the direction of the now dead Galactic Patrolmen, accidentally stepping in orange goo. "Aww, come on!" he protested as the stuff got on his boots.

Doragastu shrugged, continuing to run in that direction, killing anyone unfortunate enough to step into their path. Before long they were at the hangar bay, and there was a short fire fight, where the Galactic Patrol had set up an impromptu blockade and started firing blasters at them, and were quickly circumvented by two Saiyans who were capable of using Instant Transmission. Engie went onboard the ship to prepare it for liftoff, while Doragastu got behind enemy lines and systematically killed everyone in the hangar bay, including the terrified technician who was trying desperately to run away.

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Power followed Beet like a living thing, consuming him completely, as he made his way to where he sensed the alien commander who had dared to attack them and take their ship. All around him, the bulkhead crumpled outwards, causing tiny cracks through which the air inside the ship frantically escaped, but he didn't care. Thick security doors blocked his passage, but he merely blasted them away with a wave of his hand. Aliens with blasters and brave looks stood in his path, firing at him desperately, but he barely even noticed, pushing them away as though they were nothing, killing any that got close enough, barely noticing that those who managed to survive went running in the opposite direction. He only cared about his target.

" _You_ ," he hissed, spying the green four-eyed alien hiding behind a computer console, blaster in his quivering hand. "You tried to take what was _mine!_ " he said, as he ruthlessly ripped the computer console out of the floor, tossing it to the side, leaving the alien with nowhere left to hide.

"L-look, take it! Take the ship! Take whatever you want!" the alien said, holding up its hands, dropping the blaster in the process.

"I WANT YOU TO SUFFER!" he screamed, gripping the alien by its large neck, holding it up above his head. "I WANT YOU TO KNOW WHAT IT MEANS! TO STEAL FROM A SAIYAN!" he screamed, and drove his hand into the alien's chest, pulling out a quivering purple organ that he thought might be the alien's heart. He held it up for the alien to see, but it's eyes had rolled up into the back of it's head, and it hung limply in Beet's fist. Furiously, Beet crushed the thing's heart, and tossed the body to the side. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed, as power exploded out of him, smashing the ship around him to pieces…

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The day passed by, and there was no sign of Violet, even at dinner time. Zucchi became convinced she had just left, after he went by her place and saw it completely empty. Orin, however, was not so convinced, and they argued about it at dinner time while they fed the cubs. When they got back to their place, they noticed a cloth bag sitting inside their door, with Violet's scent all over it. Pinned to the outside of the bag was a note, with two simple sentences. "'If you want them, take them. I'm done,'" Zucchi read, and peered into the bag. "It's their clothes and some diapers. See, told you she left," he said, raising an eyebrow at Orin, who was still looking at the bag suspiciously. Slowly, she removed the harness on her shoulders, lowering the triplets gently to the floor. Then she grabbed the bag, and with a powerful swing, threw it high into the air above the city, and fired an energy blast at it.

The explosion was a powerful one, much more powerful than Orin's energy blast, and it caused everyone to come out of their homes in a panic.

Zucchi looked at the sky with wide eyes, the color draining from his face. Then, his eyes narrowed, fists clenching. "She… she put _explosives_ …" He scowled, walking out of the house, and flying towards the arena.

When he landed, King Vegeta was out there, as was Kakarot, Broly, Queen Bulma, the Ox King, and just about everyone else. The king spotted him, and glared. "What the hell is this?" he demanded.

Zucchi's jaw clenched. "It's Violet's challenge," he snarled, and, turning to the growing crowd, shouted as loud as he could. "AND I ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE! GET OUT HERE AND FACE ME, YOU PSYCHOTIC BITCH!" he bellowed.

Instantly, people began to clear the arena. The humans who had never heard of a Saiyan challenge were a little hesitant, but quickly realized that the middle of the arena was not the place to be at the moment. Saiyans began to fill the seats built into the walls of the arena, and humans followed suit, as Zucchi stood in the middle of the arena and continued to bellow. "GET DOWN HERE, YOU COWARD! GET DOWN HERE AND FACE ME!"

"Here she is!" Launch shouted, her hand firmly around Violet's arm as she flew with her to the floor of the arena.

"You're a fucking narc, Launch," Violet hissed as she struggled against Launch's grip.

Launch glared at her. "And you're a bitch who's willin' to kill her own cubs to get revenge. You want it? Here's your chance," she said, pushing her towards Zucchi before storming off.

On the balcony of King Vegeta's castle, the one closest to what was going on, Bulma turned to glare at Vegeta. "You're not actually going to let him kill her, are you?" she demanded.

Vegeta scowled. "They were all given the chance to leave. They were told what our laws were, when I became their king. She knew what the rules were before she made the challenge. Either she'll win and get her cubs back, or he'll win and she won't be alive to try this shit again. Either way, it ends here," he said gruffly.

Bulma scowled back. "She's human, and he's a Saiyan. It's not a fair fight. I thought you people liked a challenge!" she said.

Vegeta glared at her for a moment, and she glared back. Then he turned, and shouted down to the two in the middle of the arena. "The human gets weapons of her choosing!" He then turned to Bulma. "There. Now it's fair," he said, smirking at her dark look as he crossed his arms and turned his attention to the middle of the arena.

Zucchi glared at Violet. "Get _all_ of your weapons. I won't have anyone saying I didn't give you every fucking chance to survive," he told her in no uncertain terms.

Violet glared back at him. "I've already got them," she said, pulling a capsule out of her pocket. Clicking the button on top, she tossed it to the ground, revealing an enormous arsenal of grenade launchers, rocket launchers, rail guns, C4, machine guns, hand guns, and a variety of axes, swords, and knives, all collected from their battles against the Red Ribbon Army. Using his moment of distraction, she grabbed a rocket launcher and fired at him point-blank, throwing him back and destroying part of his armor, before he righted himself. Smirking, he stalked towards her, allowing her to fire at him, again and again, deflecting each blast before it hit him, his eyes dark with cold fury. Desperately, Violet threw everything she had at him, going from one weapon to another, managing only to push him back, no longer able to harm him now that his guard was up. She had gotten through a third of her arsenal before he finally got close enough that her launchers would no longer be effective, and she reached for a knife. It was a small, wicked blade, but it was well-suited to her fighting style, and soon the combat became hand-to-hand, with her kicking and slashing at him, and him blocking every move with ease. She was fast, though, and one moment, he didn't dodge quickly enough, and her blade got him across his left cheek. Snarling, he reached out and in an instant had his hand around her throat. With his other hand, he gripped the wrist that held the knife, squeezing it until she dropped it. He then brought her very close, so that she could do nothing else but look into his eyes. "You're weak. But it's not being human that makes you weak," he hissed, his lip curled in disgust. "You _gave up_ , a long fucking time ago. Your cubs are going to grow up to be strong, stronger than you _ever_ were, and your weakness won't be around to infect them, ever again," he said, squeezing her throat as she gasped helplessly, her eyes wide in terror. "I count your death as part of my debt to Nappa. When you see him in hell, be sure to tell him that _I_ sent you," he said and tightened his grip, until he could hear the telltale snap of her neck, until the light completely faded from her eyes.

Dropping her body to the ground, he looked around the arena. "Who else wants to challenge me?!" he yelled, scowling. Silence filled the stands, and he turned his eyes to the balcony on which King Vegeta stood. "I claim Nappa's cubs as my own. I'll protect them to the death should any come after them," he declared. King Vegeta gave him a nod, and he left the arena, stepping over Violet's body as he walked.

Bulma gazed at the scene, scowling, with her arms crossed. Vegeta raised an eyebrow at her. He then turned and left, leaving her there with Kakarot and Broly. "Kakarot…" she said, with a sigh.

Kakarot cast her a glance. "It's not perfect. But I woulda done the same thing," he said, scowling. She glanced at him, surprised. He glanced down at the stands where Baga was holding Gohan, protecting him from Snip, who was reaching for the infant cub. "I nearly lost Gohan, before I even got a chance to hold him. If anyone ever tried to hurt him… especially because they were mad at me…" he said, shaking his head. His eyes were dark as he looked back at her. "There's no way I'd let 'em live long enough to try again."

Bulma sighed. "When did things get so violent, Kakarot?" she asked softly. Without waiting for an answer, she turned and left the balcony.

Broly cast a glance at Kakarot. "Would a human just let someone keep trying to kill them, until they did?" he asked.

Kakarot scowled. "There's no way in hell Chi-chi would have. And I don't think Bulma would, either. I think she's just sad 'cause things used to be easier when we were kids, is all," he replied with a shrug.

Broly sighed. "Yeah… I see what she means. Things made a lot more sense before I knew what my father was doing to me. But I'm still glad I know now," he said.

Kakarot smirked. "Yeah… me, too," he said, and nudged the other man with his elbow. "Come on, we got a little time to spar before the king goes to sleep. I ain't leavin' him unprotected for a second with all this shit going on," he said, and Broly smiled and nodded before following Kakarot to the room where Queen Bulma kept the gravity domes for the really intense sparring sessions.

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Orin met up with Zucchi as he left the center of the arena, the cubs securely harnessed to her armor. Smiling up at him, she reached up to the gash in his cheek, wiped the blood away with her thumb, and licked it off, her eyes dancing. He growled low in his throat, pulling her close to him, mindful of the cubs. "You saved their lives. She didn't fool you for a second," he said, admiration in his eyes.

Orin smirked. "And if I had been out there, with all that artillery of hers, she might have stood a chance," she said, her small hands on his chest.

Zucchi smirked back. "Between the two of us, _no one_ will stand a chance," he vowed, and pulled her into a kiss, before gripping her by the waist and flying up into the air, as she squealed in delight at what was likely to be a long, glorious night between them.

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Beet floated out in space, surrounded by pieces of metal and corpses, his anger and the air supply within his hastily made energy bubble all but gone. He was left alone, in the cold darkness of space, with the knowledge of what he had just done. He had only wanted to make an ally, or at least, not make an enemy. But the words his father had told him after the battle over West City rang in his head now. He was a warrior, not a politician. It wasn't for him to decide who was to be their allies, who was to be their enemies. That was something for kings and princes to decide. His job was to fight when he was told to fight, to protect what was his, his family, his people. His father would have been ashamed he had let the aliens onto the ship. His father would have been proud he destroyed the other ship in the end. And yet…

He still felt like he failed.

As the air in his bubble became thin, he suddenly felt another presence appear in his bubble, gripping his shoulder from behind. "Engie," he said, immediately recognizing the man's ki.

Engie grunted. "Out here feelin' sorry for yourself, eh, cub?" he asked, gazing at the carnage all around them. "Figured you'd have used Instant Transmission to get back to us by now."

Beet frowned. "I almost got you two killed. You should go back, I'll only bring you more trouble," he said, scowling.

Engie rolled his eyes. "You're a dumb fucking cub," he said, shaking his head. "But you're _our_ dumb fucking cub. We're Saiyans. We ain't giving up what's ours," he said, scowling.

Beet turned, meeting his eyes. There were a thousand things he wanted to say, but he knew Engie wasn't the sort who'd want them spoken. Instead, he just gave a single nod. Engie smirked, and bringing two fingers to his forehead, he beamed them both back to the ship.


	7. Lost Children, Part 1

**Lost Children**

 **Part 1**

 **A/N: Okay, first of all, I would like to thank AceAyane for her creation of the human characters I have used in this chapter. I know the focus of this story is the Saiyans, but in order to understand events that will follow, I felt we needed a taste of how the humans viewed the Saiyans.**

 **Now, second of all, this episode will contain references to very adult themes, but I will not describe them performing sexual acts. That having been said, if you are too young for the rating on this fic, do NOT read this chapter or the next, skip ahead to a future episode. You have been warned.**

Smoke and music filled the strip club as Korn walked in, feeling pleasantly warm from the liquor he'd bought from Baga earlier. His tail was carefully tucked beneath his tunic, as it usually was when he went outside the Ox Kingdom, and the scantily clad women and roudy men made him feel more at home than he had in a long time.

It wasn't that Korn didn't feel at home with his fellow Saiyans… there was a deep, primal part of him that felt more alive now that he was rejoined with his people, than he ever had keeping on the wrong side of Frieza's law. But there were some ways in which he was fundamentally different than they were, where his Delphos heritage wound through his life, indomitably, like a Genosian creeper vine. That part of him made certain demands, demands which would not be ignored, no matter how pure his intentions or powerful his will. He had seen his mother's struggles, and he refused to put himself through that, much less anyone else.

Korn smirked as he slid down into a bar stool, catching the eye of the bartender. One did not come to a bar and not drink, even if the stuff they offered here was barely a step above water to him. But then, that's why he'd paid Bardock's cub a visit before he came. That boy made a mean brew.

"Korn! How the hell are you gonna show your face here, after last night?!" the gruff bartender asked, pulling a tall glass out from beneath the counter and filling it to the top with rum, before sliding it towards the red mohawked Saiyan. Korn slid some zenni across the bar appreciatively, which the man pocketed.

Korn's expression was innocent. "Huh? What did I do?" he asked, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"What didn't you do? There's holes in the walls in one of the back rooms, and you broke that biker's arm! His posse was in here earlier, demanding to know where to find you," he said, narrowing his eyes.

Korn smirked. "Must've told them he got into a fight or something," he said, taking a large swallow of rum.

"Didn't he?" the bartender asked, eyebrow raised.

Korn chuckled. "Only thing we were fighting over was who got to be on top," he said, shaking his head ruefully. Humans weren't strictly monogamous like Saiyans were, but they could be a bit repressed when it came to sex, particularly when it came to homosexual sex. It was all the same to Korn, however, and he raised an eyebrow playfully at the bartender. "Turns out he liked the bottom. If you want, I can show you why later…" he said suggestively.

The bartender grunted at that. "Save it for the ladies, Korn. If those guys come back, just take it outside, that's all I ask," he said, shaking his head as he went to fetch a drink for another customer.

Korn's smirk grew, and he took his drink over to where one of the dancers was dancing, casting him suggestive looks. He smiled at her, watching as she gyrated and slowly began to remove her clothing, as men laid zenni on the stage before her, or slipped it into her undergarments.

Korn didn't bother putting any zenni down, but his glance told her there would be much more zenni to be had later. He had a deal with the girls here, the ones who were willing, anyway. He was aware humans had laws surrounding payment for sex, but he considered it more of an investment in one of his favorite establishments. And, it wasn't as though they didn't enjoy it at the time…

"Hey, Korn," a sultry voice said from behind him, and he turned to see another beautiful woman standing there. She was beautiful, with curly purple hair, bright blue eyes, and supple curves above a firm frame. She looked like she might have been a fighter, if she hadn't been a stripper. She was certainly strong enough to be one, Korn knew from experience. "Back for more?" she asked seductively.

Korn smirked. "Least I can do, after passing out on you last night," he said apologetically. "I don't usually lose stamina like that," he said.

The stripper smiled. "And here I thought I was just that good," she said easily, slipping her hand up his inner thigh.

Korn growled low in his throat, and soon his lips hovered over her ear. "Oh… you _are_ ," he murmured, and she giggled as he followed her into one of the back rooms…

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Two children played ran around the laboratory, completely ignoring the large hulking combination of flesh and machine lying on the table as the blond haired girl tried to catch the black haired boy. Mischievously, the boy ducked beneath another table, and ran up to a door, slapping the panel at the side of it. Slowly, the door slid open, and he stepped in the doorway.

"Lapis! We're not allowed in there! Dr. Gero said!" the girl protested, her eyes wide.

Lapis smirked. "She's not here right now, is she? Come on, Lazuli! If you're too chicken, I win," he taunted.

The girl frowned, then scowled. Never one to be outdone by her twin, she walked up to him, into the room, and slapped his chest. "Tag. You're it!" she said, but made no move to run. The twins shared a look, then turned to peer into the room they had been forbidden to enter.

Inside, there was another table, with a large man lying on it. Only, part of his head was gone, and inside it were a bunch of wires. Interested, the two climbed up onto a bench to better see the large man-shaped machine.

"Another android? Why keep us away from this one? Dr. Gero let us see Android 14 and Android 15," Lapis said, scratching his head.

Lazuli looked the android over, poking it in the side. "It looks better than the other ones. Whoever heard of a purple-skinned android?" she said, rolling her eyes.

"I don't know… Android 14 looks pretty cool. Dr. Gero said he's gonna be a power house, whatever that means," Lapis said.

Lazuli put a hand on her hip. "He's got silver skin. Everyone's gonna know they're androids, just by looking at them. What's the point of making machines that look human, if they _don't look human_ ," she said, scowling.

"Maybe it's artistic preference," a smooth voice said from behind them, and both kids froze, turning slowly to see the purple-haired woman in the white bath towel standing there, her hair wet and her arms crossed.

"S-sorry, Dr. Gero," Lapis said, gripping his sister's hand tightly. "We didn't mean to- we'll get out of here," he said, hoping against hope the doctor was in a good mood and wouldn't use those things in her hands to stop their hearts, like they'd seen her do to so many others.

The doctor looked them over for a moment, then sighed. "Well, you've already seen him. Might as well show you what I have in store," she said, turning on more lights so they could see him better. "He's almost ready. This is a project I've been working on for a while. Children, meet Android 16," she said proudly, smiling down at the man on the table.

Lapis and Lazuli looked him over critically. "He looks strong," Lapis said.

"Is that approval I hear in your voice, Lapis?" the doctor said smoothly. "He _is_ strong. He's the strongest yet, he'll even be strong enough to take down the Saiyan leader, if he has to," she said, smiling. Then she scowled. "But he _never will_ ," she said firmly, casting her glare at the children. "Android 16 is not meant for fighting. I want him to survive, long after all of us do. So, believe me, children, when I say that, should anything happen to Android 16, _anything at all_ , I will not _hesitate_ to kill _everyone responsible_. Got that?!" she asked dangerously.

The twins nodded quickly, their eyes wide. "Yes, Dr. Gero," they said in unison.

The woman then smiled, and opened a metal locker, pulling out her nurse's uniform. "Well, I need to get ready, then I'm off to the clinic. You children keep this place safe for me. You can wake up Android 14 if you have to, but leave Android 15 turned off, he's still got some bugs in his programming I have to work out first," she said, and picked up a syringe laying on the table, that was filled with a mysterious white liquid.

Lapis bit his lip. "Dr. Gero… you said we'd get to go on a mission soon. With the androids. When will we get to go?" he asked, desperate for a chance to leave the laboratory.

Dr. Gero smiled down at the eager children. "Soon, little ones, soon. Let me finish fixing Android 15. Then you'll get to go retrieve what's mine. Then you'll see the proof of my genius!" she said, her eyes twinkling.

Lazuli smiled. "A baby android. And I get to help pick out her outfits, right?" she asked hopefully.

Dr. Gero laughed. "Of course you can, my dear. After all… we want only the best for our Android 13," she said, patting Lazuli on the head. Then, she turned and left, locking the door behind her.

Lazuli sighed. "I can't wait. Maybe Dr. Gero will let us name it something besides Android 13," she said softly.

Lapis scowled. "It's a baby, not a doll, Lazuli. Besides, do you know who she's gonna make change it's diapers? Us!"

"Do android babies need diapers?" Lazuli wondered, frowning. "Do they even poop?" Lapis snickered at that, and Lazuli hit him in the arm. "I'm being serious!"

"That's the problem," Lapis said, and smacked her on the back. "Tag! You're it!" he called out, and ran out of the room.

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A young girl with wet orange hair, a wet gray t-shirt and shorts, and a large turtle shell on her back pulled herself out of the water and onto the shore with great effort, coughing and sputtering. Once she was mostly out of the water, she laid there for a long moment, gasping, and doing her best to cough all the water out of her lungs. Once she could breathe again, she looked up at the sky, and managed a smile. "Thank you, Guardians, for keeping me safe," she rasped out, and with great effort, pushed herself up to look around. She frowned. "I don't remember this part of the forest…" she murmured, her eyes scanning the trees surrounding her. Then she smiled. "I'm sure I'll find camp if I just start walking," she said optimistically, and standing up shakily, began to walk up towards the tree line. "Oooh, maybe I'll find some blackberries!" she said, her eyes glancing around hopefully as she walked.

Training at the Turtle School was hard work, but Maaya knew she was getting stronger, she could _feel_ it. Every night she prayed to the Guardians to help her get strong enough to protect her planet from aliens, and every day she did her best to do what was asked of her, even though she seemed to fall behind at times, and even though the other kids made fun of her. She didn't let it get to her, though… she knew the Guardians were watching over her, and she knew that one day, she would be strong enough to save everyone.

Never again would she have to stand by helplessly while her friends and teachers were killed.

Shaking the memories of the orphanage they'd been rescued from out of her head, she focused on the here and now, scanning for blackberries. When she spotted some, she smiled, and began to pick them, popping them into her mouth hungrily. She was always hungry lately, Master Tien said it was from training so hard, their bodies needed to eat more to replace the energy they used. Master Tien was really smart when it came to training. Master Twelve was smart, too, and he taught them stuff they would have learned in school, if they'd stayed in the orphanage, like how to write and add big numbers. Master Chiaotzu wasn't as strong or smart as Master Tien and Master Twelve, but he was a lot more fun, and he was a really good cook. Maaya spent a lot of time with him, since the others didn't really talk to her much. They didn't like how much she prayed to the Guardians, and thought she would tell on them whenever they did something they weren't supposed to. Like, when they took off their turtle shells sometimes when the teachers weren't looking, or when they drank some of the milk and hid the bottles to make it look like they delivered all of it.

Maaya never did those things. She knew she would never get any stronger if she did, and she wanted to get strong, _really_ strong, so when the aliens _did_ come back, she'd be able to beat them once and for all.

Once she had her fill of blackberries, she picked some extras for later, placing them in the pockets of her baggy shorts, which were still damp. That done, she began looking around for anything familiar, that would help her find her way home, but the more she walked, the more she began to realize that she was horribly lost. By the time the sun was at the top of the sky, her optimism started to fade, and she began to wonder if she would ever find the Turtle School again.

Just then, she heard something that sounded like someone crying. Following the sound, she made her way through the trees to some thorny bushes, where a little baby seemed to be trapped. Maaya's eyes widened at the sight, the little girl had long, black, messy hair, and a dirty pink jumpsuit. She was completely tangled in the thorns, and Maaya had never seen anyone look so scared. "Oh, dear, you poor thing, shhh, it's okay, I can help you…" she soothed as she worked frantically to free the child from the thorns. She couldn't be more than two years old, maybe even younger, she realized, as she was finally able to reach the child. Gently, she eased the baby into her arms, removing the last of the thorns from around her, only to realize that the baby also had a furry brown tail trapped in the bush.

Maaya's breath caught. "You're… a _Saiyan_ baby?" she asked, feeling a moment of uncertainty. Master Tien said the Saiyans were bad, that they were trying to take over the world, and that they needed to get stronger so they could defeat them once and for all. However, her hesitation only lasted a moment, and then she continued freeing the child's tail from the thorns. "Well, you're just a baby, I don't think you're going to try to take over the planet right now, are you?" she asked, smiling at the little one, who curled up in her arms. "There, there, it's ok. See? Maaya's got you. Everything's gonna be okay, don't worry," she soothed, holding the baby close as she worked the thorns out of her black spiky hair. "Where are your parents? Where's your mommy and daddy?" she asked, glancing around for any sign of other, more dangerous Saiyans. Fear shot through her as she realized that, should the baby's parents show up, they were likely to kill her. That's what Saiyans did, Master Tien told them. They killed anyone who got in their way. They completely destroyed West City, Maaya had seen it, Master Tien had taken them there to show them what the Saiyans were capable of. This baby's parents might kill her just for touching their baby.

But, on the other hand…

Maaya sighed, and closed her eyes. "Guardians… please help me to be brave. And please help me find this baby's parents, so she'll be safe," she prayed, and then opened her eyes, smiling down at the baby. "Don't worry, little one. I won't give up. I'll find your mommy and daddy, no matter what. Okay?" she asked brightly.

The baby whimpered, but seemed to calm down. Maaya had an idea, and reached into her pocket, pulling out some berries. "Here, want some?" she asked, holding them out to the little one. Belatedly, she wondered if the baby was too young to eat them without choking, but the little girl quickly snatched them up, shoving them into her mouth. Giggling, Maaya gave the baby the rest of her berries. When she was done, she looked up at Maaya hopefully, her mouth and hands stained purple. Maaya smiled. "Sorry, little one, that's the last of my berries. Maybe we'll find some more on our way to find your parents," she said, and stood with the girl in her arms. Holding the baby close, who was heavier than she looked, she made her way through the forest, trying to find any signs of civilization.

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Central City was a grave yard, a large metropolis of empty buildings and rotting corpses, but it didn't sound like a graveyard. Machines still whirred, radios and televisions still played, and the sounds of wild animals could be heard, as they fought over the meat that was so readily available just about everywhere in the city.

Maybe it was the background noise that kept Saki sane.

The girl was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, with her black wavy hair pulled back in a high ponytail. She wore a tool belt slung over her shoulder and across her chest, and strapped over the other shoulder was a holster with a gun in it. She had a large hunting knife strapped to her right leg, and wore a backpack filled with odds and ends she'd scavenged. She stepped over the body of a woman in the hallway of the apartment complex she was currently looting. She didn't even see the bodies anymore; they were mere annoyances, sources of stench to be avoided, but not given a second thought.

It had to be that way. If she thought about them as _people…_

Coming up to another door, she placed a white plastic card she had made herself against the sensor panel, and the door lock clicked, allowing her to open it. The smell inside was stronger than the smell outside, and she stepped over the corpse of the dog, which had apparently scratched at the door until it died of starvation. She shook her head, trying not to think about the fact that, if she had gone through this apartment complex last month or the month before, the dog might have lived.

She had enough guilt for one person to bear as it was.

Five months ago, she had been a normal kid, playing a trick on her little brother. She was going to hide in the closet and scare him. For fun. It was supposed to be fun.

Kids were supposed to have fun.

Only, when he never came to the door, never called out to her, she had peeked out, to find…

Not just him. Her mom. And her dad, at work, she found out later. Everyone. Everyone in the whole city was dead. Everyone except her.

Well…. almost everyone. She had heard screaming, and had looked out the window, and she saw a group of women in armor fighting against aliens. Aliens, aliens had killed everyone, and those women were fighting them. Saki had thought they were super heroes, and had been transfixed. She couldn't look away.

Even when they lost.

What happened then… those poor women…

But not her. Not Saki. Because she hid. Everyone else died, and she got to live, because she hid in the closet, because she didn't come out and try to stop the aliens, even when they were doing _that_ to those women. She didn't even come out when they were screaming.

Then those men came, the men with tails. One of them was a little boy with a tail, a little boy who looked like he was her little brother's age. They came, and killed the aliens with ease. They rescued the women, the women who were brave enough to stand up to the aliens who killed everyone in her city, who killed her family. They took revenge for her, while she did _nothing_.

And now, she stepped over the bodies of the people she did nothing to help.

Kids were supposed to have fun. But not Saki. She just _survived._ Every day, she left her apartment, which she had cleared of the bodies _(family…_ she had cleared of her _family_ , she reminded herself), and went out to scavenge. She mostly searched for unspoiled food and bits of tech, the stuff her parents never had the money for, that was now easily accessible to her. She figured out how to rig an apartment key so that it opened _any_ apartment, how to set up an earpiece to pick up the radio, how to download any book she wanted on a tablet, without having to pay. She had found quite the computer setup, and spent many an hour at night on the internet, learning how to do new things to help her survive.

She had to survive. If she didn't… then what was the point? Why was she left alive, when no one else got to live? Not even her little brother? She had to survive, or nothing made any sense. Plain and simple.

Avoiding the refrigerator, which Saki knew was only partially responsible for the stench in this apartment, Saki went straight for the cupboards. "Let's see… no… no… yuck, asparagus, definitely no… what's succotash? Looks gross…" she murmured as she dug through the cans of food. "Lima beans. Okay, those are alright. Vegetables, check," she said, slipping the can into her backpack. "Got meat covered, got vegetables, got fruit… now I just need bread and dairy, and I'm set," she said, opening the pantry.

Her parents had often told her she needed all of the food groups, to grow big and strong. To survive. That's what she did. She survived. Every day, she gathered together the food she'd eat the next day, making certain to gather all of the food groups. Bread was a lot harder to come by, since most of the bread was made five months ago, and it was all moldy by now. Her eyes landed on something familiar, and she grinned. "Ramen! Bread group, check!" she said, filling her bag with as much of the ramen as she could. She loved it, and her supply of it was getting low. "Dairy…" she murmured, knowing she might be out of luck in that department. It had been at least a week since she'd last come across something from the dairy group that wasn't spoiled. Not finding anything here, either, she sighed. "Okay, no dairy. Looks like it's that nasty powdered milk stuff again tonight," she grumbled, and sighed, looking around the apartment. She saw something that caught her eye, and stepped over maggot-covered body of a man to get to it. "Holy crap," she muttered, a lifetime of training keeping her from saying an actual swear word, even in a world with no parents and no one to hear her. "M240 bravo," she murmured, looking over the machine gun in the glass case. After her first day of trying to fight off dogs, coyotes, and vultures, she had researched how to use a gun, and had quickly found the subject to be fascinating. Curiously, she opened the case and picked up the gun. It was heavy, extremely heavy, and it was all she could do to pick the thing up. She was about to put it down gently back into the case, when she heard something that she hadn't heard in months.

Other people's voices.

Saki froze. Were they back? More aliens? The radio was always going on and on about how the aliens were going to come back, how they were going to take over the planet. Her heart in her throat, she gently laid the gun down, trying to make as little noise as possible, and peeked out the window.

What she saw were five… _beings._

They were covered, from head to toe, by thick red space suits, and wore black visors that hid their faces. There was no doubt about it… they were aliens. They had come back for her, to finish the job.

But this time she was armed.

Saki glanced down at her handgun. She had three in the chamber; she had found bullets, but none that matched the gun, so they wouldn't fit. She had planned to stop at the gun store again today and pick up some more of the right bullets on her way home. If she shot three of the aliens, the other two would attack her. And that was if she made three clean shots; it still took her a few tries to get the coyotes that attacked her, though she was getting better.

Her eyes went to the machine gun. This was her chance. _This_ was why she had survived…

So she could take out the aliens once and for all.

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Maaya had travelled with the baby in her arms most of the afternoon, yet still felt like she was no closer to civilization than she had been earlier. What was worse, she could have sworn she'd seen some of these same trees before. Sighing, she sat down on a fallen log, looking down at the baby clinging to her for dear life. "I'm sorry, little one… I think we're lost," she said, frowning. Biting her lip, she closed her eyes. "Guardians… I know you're watching over us. Please help us find our way…" she prayed.

"I don't think the Guardians can hear you all the way out here," a voice said. Maaya opened her eyes wide, and smiled to see a girl with a reddish-brown braid and a boy with white spiky hair emerge from the trees, both wearing turtle shells.

"Tasha! Ketsu! Gosh, I thought I was lost!" she said happily.

The girl with the braid scowled, crossing her arms over her torn gray t-shirt. "You _are_ lost! Don't you have any idea how far you've gone? We're just outside the Ox Kingdom!" she said, glancing around furtively. "There are _Saiyans_ here," she hissed.

Ketsu, who typically showed zero interest in what anyone else was doing, was looking at Maaya curiously. "What the hell is _that_?" he asked, pointing to the little girl in her arms.

Maaya suddenly realized her predicament, and held the baby close. "She's lost… I found her in the woods, tangled up in some thorns. I'm getting her back to her parents," she said, knowing what was coming next.

Tasha walked up to her, peering at the baby closely. "It's… it's a _Saiyan_!" she said, her eyes growing wide.

Maaya backed away from the older girl. "She's just a baby! She hasn't hurt anyone!" she protested, defending the frightened child.

" _Yet,_ " Ketsu muttered, scowling. "Well, now you can say you killed your first Saiyan. Snap it's neck, and let's get going," he said, sounding bored.

Tasha's and Maaya's eyes grew wide, and then Tasha scowled. "Ketsu, stop being an ass," she said, then looked back at Maaya. "But we should be getting back. Put that thing down, and come with us, before we get spotted by one of the bigger ones," she said, frowning.

Maaya scowled. "I'm not leaving her alone in the woods! She's just a baby! She needs to go back home. She's hungry," she said, frowning in concern at the baby in her arms.

"Absolutely not!" Tasha yelled, hands on her hips. "Do you have any idea what the Saiyans will _do_ to you, if they see you anywhere _near_ one of their young? Besides, you don't know what that thing eats… it might eat _you_!" she exclaimed.

Maaya frowned. "I don't care! Leaving a baby alone in the woods is wrong, I don't care _what_ kind of baby it is! I'm taking it home. Don't worry, the Guardians will protect me, you just watch!" she said fiercely.

Ketsu snickered, and rolled his eyes. "I don't know what's more pathetic, the fact that you think the Guardians care about every little thing in your life, or that you think they have the power to change it if they did. The Guardians are safe and warm on top of their tower, and we're down here in the real world. Down here, it's kill or be killed. So, either kill that thing, or get ready to be killed by it's family. Either way, I'm going back," he said, shaking his head as he turned to leave.

Tasha scowled at him. "Master Tien said we had to find Maaya," she scolded him.

Ketsu shrugged. "We found her. If she wants to commit suicide, let her. She wasn't gonna cut it anyway," he said, walking away.

Tasha glanced back at Maaya, who was now walking in the opposite direction, and had a moment of indecision, before she sighed and went after Maaya.

"You don't have to come with me," Maaya told her softly as she continued to walk.

Tasha scowled. "The hell I don't. You don't even know where the hell you're going!" she protested.

Maaya shrugged. "Ketsu went the opposite way, and he said he was going back. He's got an excellent sense of direction," she pointed out. "That means, the Ox Kingdom's gotta be further this way," she reasoned.

Tasha sighed. "Look… what if we get her to the edge of the Ox Kingdom, and leave her there? Someone's bound to see her, and they'll take her to her parents. She gets home safely, we survive another day. Foolproof," she said, holding up a finger.

Maaya glanced behind her. "If you want to wait outside the Ox Kingdom, that's fine. But I'm not stopping until she goes to her parents. I made a promise. If it's stupid, then I die stupid. But at least I'll die being stupid and doing the right thing," she said, as she continued to walk.

Tasha blinked. She'd never known Maaya to have this much backbone before. Finding that cub really seemed to bring out the little goody-goody's fighting spirit. "That doesn't even make any sense!" she protested, as she followed her.

 **A/N: Okay, next chapter may be this weekend, maybe next. I'll do my best, and I hope you enjoy!**


	8. Lost Children, Part 2

Five men in hazmat suits wandered the streets in Central City, taking footage of the devastation. " _Kami_ … can you believe this shit, Gus?" one of them said.

Another shook his head. "Like they all just died, all of the sudden," he replied, reaching down to lift up one of the bodies, who had been slumped over in his chair at the table. "I think this guy was eating dinner when it happened," he said, removing his hand suddenly when bugs started to crawl over it from within the corpse. "Shit, I won't be able to eat for a week!"

Another called out to them, a female. "Hey, guys, the signal's coming from nearby," she said, and the other four turned to the direction she pointed. "Home base was right, there's a survivor here, alright," she said.

"Yeah, Sandra, but a surviving _what_? Human, or alien?" Gus replied.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of rapid fire, and Sandra suddenly slumped to the ground, followed by two others. Gus quickly took cover behind a car, looking around frantically for the source of the bullets. Suddenly he heard another cry, and another member of his team hit the ground. "Mike!" he yelled, and suddenly bullets sprayed the car he was hiding behind.

He hid. It was all he could do. All around him, he saw his co-workers, _friends_ , lying dead, just for doing their jobs. He couldn't process what was happening, not until the gunfire finally stopped. Still, he hid, not knowing if whoever was shooting would still be watching. Shakily, he pressed a button on his wrist. "Home base… home base, come in!" he hissed, hoping against hope that he wasn't heard.

"This is home base, agent, what's the issue?" the voice came out. It was set at normal volume, but Gus felt like it was blaring. His teeth clenched as he waited for the inevitable spray of bullets to continue.

When it didn't, he hissed into the device on his wrist, "We're under attack! The others are dead… I'm the only one left! Repeat, four men down, I'm the only survivor! Request backup!"

Whatever the response was, Gus didn't hear it. All he heard was the spray of bullets commence. He hid, ducking down low, but it just wouldn't stop. And then…

Then pain blossomed in his chest, and he looked down to see blood spilling out a hole in the front.

Sound faded out from around him. All he knew were his breaths, they were shallow, and painful, and marked the passage of time slowly as he bled on the ground. An eternity later, he saw something in front of him, a shape, and squinted, willing his vision to clear. When it did, he almost gasped.

It was a little girl.

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Saki looked down at the alien bleeding on the ground. It was reaching up to her, gasping. She pulled out her handgun, pointed at its head, and fired. The thing's arm dropped, dead. She scowled. "That was for my family," she said, her lip curled.

Then a device on the creature's arm started back up. "Gus! Gus! Can you hear me? We're sending in reinforcements from Pepper Town, just stand by! If you see any aliens, don't engage, we'll pull you out of there! Gus, do you copy?" the voice said.

Saki's world spun. Her hand shook, gripping her handgun tightly, and she slipped it back into its holster, lest she shoot herself. She at least had sense to do that. The blood stopped spilling out of its front, it was already spilled. The suit was loose plastic… not air-tight, like the space suits on tv.

Not a space suit.

She didn't know why she did it, why she reached down and pulled the mask off. Thinking back to it, she could have fooled herself into thinking it _was_ an alien, and go back to being calm, go back to being proud of herself. But, she needed to know the truth. She had to know. So she pulled the mask off.

Human.

"Gus! Gus, if you can hear me, reinforcements are on the way!" the voice on his device said, bringing Saki's mind back to the present. She looked around, at the devastation she'd caused. Humans. At the humans she'd killed.

She was a murderer.

Murderers ran and hid from police. And the voice said reinforcements, that meant police. Police were going to come, and find her, and take her to jail.

Saki turned away, and started walking down the street. She needed supplies.

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A woman with brown hair and a yellow dress laid on the table, her knees bent and legs spread apart. A nurse with curly purple hair was bending over her with her tools, then glanced up, smiling at the woman. "Okay, Veri, all set! Told you you wouldn't feel a thing," she said cheerfully.

The woman smiled. "Really? That was it?" she asked, surprised.

The nurse smiled back. "The device we implanted last week seems to be working well, and I injected your uterus with the sperm your husband donated. You should start feeling the symptoms of pregnancy within the next few weeks," she said.

Sitting up, the woman's face lit up. "Thank you so much, Nurse Ran-Fan. Hiro and I have been trying for years, he's going to be so excited when he finds out!" she said as she began to put her underwear back on.

"Just be sure to come right back if you experience anything strange, anything at all," the nurse said seriously. "This procedure is experimental, and we want to give the baby every chance to thrive," she explained.

The woman smiled again, and hugged the nurse. "Of course! Thank you so much, and thank Dr. Gero for me!" she said, and after retrieving her coat, left the office.

The nurse watched her go with a small smile. "Oh, I'll tell him," she said, and pulled a voice recorder out of her pocket. "Subject twelve seems to be taking well to the implanted embryo, no ill effects from the growth serum. Embryonic growth rate is showing rapid progress, after being implanted five days ago, subject twelve shows signs of being three weeks pregnant. Growth rate is expected to accelerate, subject twelve expected to give birth in one month's time, after which subject twelve will be disposed of, and the infant will be transported to the North City facility, to undergo training," she said, and pressed the button to stop recording.

She smiled. Operation Super Soldier was going well, after the first two saiyan/human hybrids had died of old age shortly after being born, she had modified the growth serum to wear off once the genetically modified hybrids reached puberty. This one, if successful, would bring their little army up to ten. Her benefactors wanted her to work on a way to impregnate subjects on a larger scale, but Dr. Gero was hesitant to do so; the mothers never lived through the process, so at the moment, the rate of exchange was one human female for one super soldier. Her attempts so far at incubating in an artificial womb had all failed. Once she was able to bypass the human mother element, however…

Opening the door to the waiting room, she smiled at the women waiting in the chairs. "Next?" she asked.

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Maaya held the little girl close as she and Tasha nervously made their way down the softly sloping road that led into the deep canyon that was the Ox Kingdom. People passed them by, barely giving them a second glance, though some looked at them strangely due to the turtle shells on their backs. About halfway down to the bottom, they started to relax, thinking that maybe the stories they'd heard were only stories meant to scare them.

Then they got to the arena, and were surrounded by people fighting.

Tasha and Maaya gazed on in wonder at the women fighting, some of them in the air, some of them looked not much older than they were. They each wore a red sleeve, and all fought with a ferocity that made even Maaya begin to re-think her decision. However, she took a deep breath, and stepped forward. "Uh… excuse me!" she called out.

No one could hear her.

"Hello? Excuse me!" she yelled again.

The fighting continued around them.

Rolling her eyes, Tasha stepped forward. "HEY, SAIYANS! WE GOT YOUR BABY!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

Around them, the fighting stopped, and suddenly, all eyes were on them.

Tasha swallowed, but held her ground, knowing that this was probably the end, but that she wasn't about to leave Maaya to face these people alone. Maaya, to her credit, stepped forward, the little girl quivering in fear in her arms. "Did.. did someone lose a child?" she asked bravely.

A woman with strange battle armor and a tail wrapped around her waist stepped forward, looking them over. She had black hair that stood straight down, except for a single spike of green hair that stood straight up on her head. Maaya noticed the woman's tail, but held the child close, determined to only give her to her mother. The woman noticed this and paused, regarding her critically, before speaking. "Where did you get that cub?" she asked.

Maaya fought to keep her voice steady. "She was in the woods, she was tangled up in the vines, and couldn't get out. She must have gotten lost," she said, noticing how the women were giving each other blank looks.

The woman with the green spike of hair frowned, looking at the little girl. "No Saiyan cub cowers like that," she said, looking the cub over. In the blink of an eye she snatched the cub from Maaya's hands, holding her up by the back of her little pink jumpsuit. The girl had so much hair, grabbing some of it was unavoidable, and the cub cried out in terror. Chicori held her up to look into her face, frowning. "Even a hybrid should know not to panic at this age…" she murmured.

"Leave her alone! She's just a baby!" Maaya exclaimed, clenching her fists.

Chicori ignored Maaya completely, scowling at the bawling cub in her hand. " _Enough!_ " she yelled, but that only made the cub cry harder, desperately squirming to get out of her grasp. "Come on, have some pride! You're a Saiyan! You don't cry, you make your enemies cry!" she scolded. "Don't you know-"

Whatever Chicori was about to say was cut off by an explosion of pain, as an impossibly heavy turtle shell was smashed into the back of her head. Not ready for it, she went flying forward, the crying cub in hand. Eyes wide in terror, a now shell-less Maaya ran to grab her before she hit the ground, but overshot her distance tremendously, hitting the far wall of the arena. Chicori and the cub both landed in a heap on the ground, and Maaya ran back to them, gaining a bit more control of her movements, and snatched the cub away from the startled Saiyan woman. "Shhh, there, there," she soothed the cub, glaring at Chicori. "Why would you do something like that? She's just a baby! Is this how you treat your own children?" she demanded, all of her nervousness from before gone. She looked around at all of the women assembled, and scowled. "I will protect this baby, with my life if I have to, and I just met her! What kind of a monster won't step up to protect their own child?!" she demanded.

The women glanced at each other blankly, some looking on with confusion, others with amusement. "Chicori _was_ stepping up, even though that isn't her child," a red-haired human female said. She didn't look much older than Tasha. She walked towards her, and Maaya responded by backing up and holding the cub closer. Snow stopped. "Saiyan children have different needs than human children. They have a strong instinct to fight, and need to be taught early how to harness it. They have a lot of enemies, and need to be taught early how to defend themselves. Chicori was only treating that cub the same way she'd treat her own. I don't know whose cub that is, but anyone here would gladly take her in as one of their own, Chicori included," she said reasonably.

Maaya relaxed a little, and was about to respond with an apology, when the cub was snatched out of her hands again. When she looked up, she could see the look in Chicori's eyes was a dark one, and even though the cub had started crying again, Maaya was suddenly much more afraid for her own life. However, in the next moment two things happened. The first was, that Tasha was suddenly standing in front of her, ready to defend her from Chicori.

The second was, Chicori frowned, sniffing the cub. "Uh… Launch?" she called, over the cub's screaming wails, "This one's _yours_."

The two girls blinked in confusion as one of the women came close, wearing battle armor and a red bandana. She looked the cub over. "That ain't Snip, she don't look nothin' like Snip!" she protested, scowling. "Besides, Snip's with Parsi and Gula," she added, frowning.

"No, she's not," Snow responded, her eyes wide as she regarded Launch. "You took her with you into the woods this morning, to hunt. You never came back. At least… the other you didn't…" she said, deep in thought. "If… if she changes when she sneezes… like you do…" she mused.

Launch's eyes widened, as she looked at the cub crying in Chicori's grasp. "Snip?" she asked breathlessly, blinking as Chicori deposited her into Launch's arms. "Snip? Is that you?" she asked the crying child softly. Making a decision, she reached down to the ground, took a pinch of dust, then stood up, looking the cub in the eyes. "Maybe this'll help you recognize your Mama," she said, and flicked the dust into her own face. Her nose wrinkled, and she sneezed, her blonde hair turning dark blue, her green eyes doing the same. Blinking, Launch looked down at the cub, who had stopped crying, startled by the transformation. As soon as she saw the cub, Launch broke into a large smile. "Snip! Oh, I was so worried!" she said, holding the cub close. She looked around at everyone. "What happened?"

Chicori rolled her eyes. "You sneezed, and lost your cub without knowin' it. These humans brought her back," she said, waving disinterestedly over her shoulder towards Maaya and Tasha. Shrugging, she went back to the others, no longer interested now that the mystery was solved.

"What is this thing you carry on your back?" a voice said from behind the two girls, and Tasha and Maaya spun around to see a tall Saiyan woman with long white hair holding up Maaya's shell. She was looking it over curiously. "It seems a bit heavy for human cubs to carry," she said, raising an eyebrow.

Maaya swallowed hard, but stepped forward. "It's a turtle shell, ma'am. We use them for training. Can… I have it back, please?" she asked.

Meron's eyes slid to Maaya's, and she raised an eyebrow. "Take it from me," she said simply.

Tasha scowled, stepping forward angrily, and Maaya blinked. "What?" she asked, confused.

Meron's gaze didn't waver. "Saiyan law says you own only what you can keep. Prove you can keep it, and it's yours," she said simply.

"Really? And is that how you justify taking over our planet?" Tasha asked, her fists clenched.

"Tasha-" Maaya began, but Tasha cut her off.

"Stay back, Maaya," Tasha said, taking off her own turtle shell. "I'll keep her distracted, you run. Got it?" she whispered.

Maaya scowled. "I'm not running. I won't leave you here to face them alone," she said, finality in her tone.

Tasha met her gaze, then sighed. "What's made you so brave, Maaya?" she asked, shaking her head.

Maaya blinked at that. "Standing up to you guys all the time," she said, stepping forward so that she was standing beside Tasha instead of behind her. She looked at Meron, who was patiently watching them. "My friend wants to help me, is that okay?" she asked.

Meron gave a nod. Maaya and Tasha glanced at each other for a moment, then both jumped towards Meron.

It didn't go well. Maaya's newfound strength and speed were uncontrolled, and she had almost no experience in a real fight. Tasha also found herself to be stronger and faster, though for some reason, not as much as Maaya, and while she had been in a few fights in her time, none of them were with a skilled opponent like Meron. Maaya tried to barrel herself into Meron while Tasha, who seemed to have more control, made a grab for the shell. However, both girls soon found themselves slammed into the ground more often than not, until neither had the strength to get back up. Meron stood over them then, holding both turtle shells. "You both have spirit, for humans. Tell me, why do you train?" she asked.

Tasha glared at her. "To protect our planet… from people like _you_!" she spat.

Meron merely smirked at that. Stepping towards them, she dropped the two turtle shells on the ground in front of them. "Train harder," she said simply, then turned and walked away. The moment she did, everyone else turned away, too, continuing with their training as though the two human girls weren't there.

Tasha scowled after her, inwardly seething, but Maaya watched her go thoughtfully. As soon as they could, they got up and reached down to pick up their turtle shells. Tasha frowned as she pulled on the straps. "What the hell? I can barely pick this damned thing up now," she muttered as she tried to lift it onto her back.

Maaya picked hers up and frowned as well, but for a different reason. "That's weird. Mine feels lighter than before," she said, putting hers on with ease.

Tasha turned to her, and glared. "I knew it. Our shells are switched. Yours is heavier than ours," she said, finally getting the shell onto her back. "Did Master Tien give you a heavier shell?" she asked.

Maaya blinked at that. "No, it's the same one I've always had," she said, frowning. "Uh… wanna switch?" she asked.

"Absolutely not! If you can carry this damned thing, then so can I!" Tasha said, and immediately began to stomp towards the arena's entrance, if a bit unsteadily.

Cocking her head, Maaya ran to catch up to her, then quickly slowed down to keep her friend's pace. Together they slowly made their way out of the Ox Kingdom. Once they were in the woods outside of it, the girls stopped for a break. Maaya glanced at Tasha, whose face was red from exertion. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.

Tasha scowled. "How… how _dare_ she…"

"How dare she what? Let us live?" Maaya asked calmly.

Anger flashed in Tasha's eyes as she glared at Maaya. "Are you defending her?!" she asked incredulously.

Maaya sighed, looking down sadly. "Master Tien and Master Twelve say that the Saiyans are evil. That they want to take over the planet," she said. "Today, we found a Saiyan baby, and took it home… to its human mother," she said, shaking her head. "There were lots of humans there, did you notice? They weren't scared of the Saiyans. And they didn't look like they were trying to take over anything… they were just training, the same way we train, every day."

"You're forgetting the part where they stole from us and beat us up," Tasha said, scowling.

"But they gave the shells back. And they didn't kill us, even though we were certain they would," Maaya pointed out. She gave Tasha a hard look. "If a Saiyan had wandered into our camp, and Master Tien had beaten him in battle, and the Saiyan said he was training to defeat the humans, do you think Master Tien would have told him to train harder, and let him go?" she asked.

Tasha blinked. "Master Tien would have killed him, no question," she said, frowning in thought.

"I don't think we're the good guys, Tasha," Maaya said softly. "And I'm not okay with that."

Silence hung between them for a long moment, until Tasha spoke. "What do you plan to do?" she asked.

Maaya smiled slowly. "I'm going to train harder," she said, meeting Tasha's eyes. "I'm going to pray for guidance. Maybe… maybe I can even get Master Tien to see that he's wrong about the Saiyans," she said optimistically.

"Yeah. Or, maybe he'll kick us both out for being traitors," Tasha grumbled.

" _Both_ of us?" Maaya asked, eyebrow raised.

Tasha shot her another glare. "What? You want me to say you were right? You have a point… that Saiyan lady could have killed us if she wanted to. I don't know if that puts them on our side or anything… but they aren't the monsters Master Tien makes them out to be. We're being lied to, that's for certain. But then, what else is new?" she said with a sigh.

Maaya stood up, looking her over. "Sure you don't want to switch?" she asked.

Tasha scowled, and stood up as well. "Not a chance. This one's my shell, now, I won't fall behind while you keep getting stronger. You'll just have to do whatever you did to this one to the one you're wearing," she said, crossing her arms stubbornly.

Maaya giggled. "All you had to do was ask for it, Tasha," she said, shaking her head at her friend. "But as for what made it heavier," she said thoughtfully, then closed her eyes and bowed her head. "Guardians? I know you can hear me. Can you please make this shell as heavy as my old one, so I can keep getting stronger? I promise I won't take it off again unless I absolutely have to," she said, hoping her hunch was correct. Suddenly, the weight on her back increased, and she smiled. "Thank you, Guardians!" she said, and opened her eyes.

Tasha was openly staring at her. "They… they actually did it? They actually listened to you?" she asked incredulously.

Maaya smiled. "I told you they were watching over us," she said, and glanced up at the sky. "It's getting dark. We should get to camp. Do… do you know which way to Korin's Tower?" she asked.

Tasha rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless, Maaya," she said, and began walking, Maaya following close behind.

 **A/N: Sorry so late, guys. I had SEVERE writer's block with this chapter. I hope I answered all questions, and I hope you guys enjoyed. Stay tuned for our next episode, where Ruta and Maca finally come back, and we find out how Beet, Engie, and Doragastu are doing. Next time, on Dragonball ASF! :D**


	9. Family

**A/N: Did you guys miss me? Sorry, it's been crazy, and dramatic, and… well, real life. Ok, I know I usually split these up into two episodes, but let's take a break from that, and just have one reeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaally long chapter, okay?**

 **Episode 5**

 **Family**

Bulma groaned, slamming her hand down on the black table. It merely made a slapping noise, being obsidian, which only served to make her angrier. With a cry of fury, she summoned up her energy, the way Gine had once taught her, and punched her fist through the top of the obsidian table, cracking it in half. Papers and equipment went sliding off onto the floor, glass slides shattering.

A low growl emanated from the doorway of the brightly lit laboratory, and Bulma spun around to see Vegeta standing there, looking her over appraisingly. She scowled. "What the hell do you want?!" she demanded, still furious.

"Keep talking to me like that, and I'll show you," Vegeta said darkly, approaching her. "What's wrong?" he asked, knowing that she wouldn't really be his until she started dealing with what was on her mind.

"Like you care," she said, arms crossed. "You're just looking to get laid." Vegeta merely crossed his own arms, staring at her, eyebrow raised. Finally, she sighed. "I can't find a way to fix Maca," she said finally.

Vegeta frowned. "Maca?" he asked, racking his brain to try to remember who that was.

"Kakarot's baby sister. You know… the one Gine had, when she died?" Bulma reminded him, exasperatedly. "I told you about this. I shrunk both of Kakarot's sisters and put them into one of our old snow globes, I was hoping I'd come up with a cure or something by now, but…" Bulma trailed off.

"You've been holding Kakarot's sisters as prisoners?" Vegeta asked, now really confused. Kakarot hadn't mentioned it to him at all. "Wait… wasn't one of them that brat, the one who saved us all from getting wished into oblivion?" he asked.

"Ruta. That's right. And then, she and her sister went on a killing spree. She'd been feeding humans to Maca. I watched her, she slurped up that Zarbon guy like some kind of alien vampire," Bulma said, shuddering.

"Ruta killed Zarbon?" Vegeta asked. No, _that_ couldn't be right. Zarbon was one of Frieza's elite forces.

" _No_ , Vegeta, _Maca_ killed Zarbon," Bulma corrected.

"The infant?" Vegeta asked.

"That's right. She ate him. Like she's been eating other people, since she was born. And Ruta was helping her," Bulma said, exasperated that she was having to explain all of this to him again.

"Has she spilled Saiyan blood?" Vegeta asked, coming to stand very close to her, inhaling her scent.

Bulma frowned. "No…"

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "Did she kill anyone from the Ox Kingdom?" he asked, wondering at her reaction.

"No… she killed people from West City. That's why they were shooting at Broly, Raditz, and Beet, during the battle with Frieza's men," Bulma said, scowling.

 _West City._ So that explained it, Vegeta thought. That had been where his mate was from, and now it was little more than a giant crater, since the battle. "So you blame the infant and her sister for the destruction of your city of birth," he said sagely.

Bulma shot him a look. "No! Vegeta…they _hunted_ people. For _food_. You don't think it's a little too dangerous to let them roam around free eating whoever they want to?"

Vegeta shrugged. "As long as they aren't eating _our_ people," he said.

"And you don't think that's a little selfish?" Bulma asked.

Vegeta laughed at that. "Of course it is. What's your point?" he asked. At her look, he smirked. "I'm the Saiyan King. Like it or not, you're their Queen. We can only afford to care about our own. The moment we lose sight of that, we lose something of what we are," he said. He glanced at the now broken table. "They're Saiyans, not one of your experiments. If they break our laws, they die. Until then, they're to be treated like any other Saiyan. We don't take prisoners, especially not of our own," he said, stepping forward once more, so that she was pushed against the broken table.

Bulma swallowed, her heart in her throat. When he was this close to her, it was always hard to think. He was literally the only person she had ever met that could make every thought in her head shut off completely. He was doing this on purpose, she knew, to shut down the conversation. But… it wasn't as though he was completely wrong. Really, the thing she was mostly pissed about was that she hadn't figured it out yet. And, she couldn't leave them in there forever…

Rough hands gripping her sides, and Vegeta's low growl banished all of her thoughts away as she melted into him, and her lab once again became a place of play…

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A gray-haired scientist with a white lab coat and a clipboard made his way down the corridors of one of the many underground facilities in North City. After the last one was destroyed by Saiyans, the human military had taken to creating them in multiple places, so that if one were attacked, none of the samples or data would be completely lost. Coming to a doorway, the scientist pressed the panel on the side, and walked toward one of the technicians cataloguing the newest batches of genetic material. "Mai, how are the tests coming along?" the scientist asked.

The dark haired technician glanced up at him with those cool eyes of hers. "This batch is almost ready, Dr. Noki. There were a few aberrations, but for the most part, everything checks out," she said officiously.

Dr. Noki smiled. "Please, Mai… I told you, call me Hiro. You don't have to be so rigid, leave that for the soldiers, goodness knows we've got enough of those," he said, laughing easily.

Mai gazed at him for a long moment, before she finally smiled. "Yes, sorry, Hiro, I just get caught up in my work sometimes," she said, visibly relaxing. "Are you interested in knowing about the aberrations I found?" she asked.

"I'd be more interested in knowing what you're doing after your shift," he said, stepping closer to her, his clipboard resting on the table in front of her.

Mai's smile became more seductive, and she raised an eyebrow. "Well, I hadn't made any plans. Did you have something in mind?" she asked, teasingly.

Dr. Noki looked her over hungrily, then said, "You. Me. Dinner. And after that…" he said, trailing off.

"After that?" Mai asked coyly.

"How about we take our time and find out?" he asked huskily, almost murmuring.

"Like an experiment?" Mai asked, smirking. "Ok. You've piqued my scientific curiosity," she said, resting her hand on the clipboard, leaning in close. "I'll see you after my shift," she said softly, then turned back to her microscope, pretending to be oblivious to the fact that he was clearly taking that moment to get a good look at her backside.

Once he left, Mai could feel tension building up in part of her mind, and suppressed a smile. _I'm going to kill him, you know,_ a familiar voice said in her mind.

 _As long as I can watch,_ Mai returned, her stomach tightening with anticipation. _This is strange, I'm not used to doing this with someone else in my head,_ she added, grimacing.

 _You need me. You're not a scientist, you need to pass yourself off as one, or they'll be onto you in no time,_ Turles's voice responded in her mind. _Besides, I'm not letting you fuck him just to get information. You're mine, I already told you that. Your days of doing this shit on your own are over._

Mai smirked at that. _Romantic as that sounds, if you were really that concerned, you would have let King Vegeta know what we were doing,_ she reasoned.

 _Doesn't work that way with Saiyans,_ he reminded her, and Mai could tell he was losing his concentration; something was happening around him. _I have to go. Remember everything you see. Don't make me come in there after you,_ he warned her; from him, that was a sincere expression of concern for her well-being.

Mai smiled softly, and could feel the presence dissipating in her mind. Saiyans were natural telepaths, it had something to do with achieving sentience as primates before they became humanoids, if you believed everything Saru said. She had learned to communicate with body language, like they did, but had never considered the potential usefulness of telepathy until Turles had started using it on her when they mated. What had started as a game in the bedroom, had turned into a key tool for espionage.

When they had attacked the base in North City during the battle with Frieza's men, Mai had determined to keep tabs on the military movements there. Slowly, she had infiltrated their ranks, passing herself off as a scientist, with Turles's help. What better way to find out what their plans were, than to be part of the group that was making the plans? Mai was a reasonably intelligent woman, and thanks to Turles's abilities, she didn't have to understand the things she saw and heard; all she had to do was remember them, and when he came to her at night, he would go through her memories, and help her make sense of it all. Together they had discovered that humans were trying to make an army of Saiyan/Human hybrids, though they had no idea where they were getting the genetic material from. All they had to do was find out how the humans were doing it, and where the hybrids were being kept; then, Turles said, they would have something to bring to King Vegeta. Anything less than that, the Saiyan King would consider to be a waste of his time.

Mai pulled the sheet of paper she had surreptitiously pulled from Dr. Noki's clipboard out of her pocket, and looked at it closely, memorizing every detail. She then smoothed it out as much as she could, and placed it on top of a pile of reports she had been filling out. Walking out into the corridor, she made sure the paper fell to the floor in the corridor along the path Dr. Noki would have taken to come to the lab she worked in, so he would think it just fell off his clipboard. Then she made her way to the administrative office, to deliver the reports.

The administration in this facility wasn't nearly as on top of things as they should be, in Mai's opinion, a fact she was exploiting mercilessly. She had memorized the record keeper's break times, and always managed to come when the old lady was out, so she could help herself to any bits of information she could get her hands on. By the time the record keeper returned, Mai was already leaving, and nodded in the other woman's direction as she left.

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Kakarot grinned as the tiny cub pulled himself up to his feet, his dark eyes scowling with determination. The forest was peaceful here, a big reason why he always brought Gohan here to play. It wasn't that he wanted to coddle his son, and it wasn't that he didn't want to raise him up with the same values that his parents had taught him. It was just that, when she was alive, he and Chi-chi would always come out here, to enjoy the peace and quiet, and here, he could smile and laugh and be himself with Gohan, and not be so…

 _Saiyan_.

Even now, after all this time, after all he learned from his parents, from his older brother, from Vegeta, part of him still reverted to those days long ago, when life was peaceful, when he wasn't always on guard, when his grandpa laughed with him, and tickled him, and taught him how to fish. He loved to fight, he loved it more than anything, and there was no denying that Kakarot was a Saiyan down to his very core, but… he had been raised like a human once, and that image of peace and quiet and pure joy would always be a part of him.

He wanted Gohan to have peaceful memories like that.

Gohan was naked; most saiyan cubs were, they just tore their clothes too quickly, and it didn't make any sense to put them in armor before they were old enough to take it off to pee. Saiyans didn't see the point of diapers, unless there was a space pod involved, and the days of sending their infants off to conquer alien planets were thankfully over. Which was why saiyan cubs spent most of their time outside, typically with supervision. Usually with their _mother_ 's supervision…

"Come on, Gohan… you can do it, I know you can. Come to papa," Kakarot said, holding his hands out towards his son. Gohan knew the gesture well, and reached towards his father's hands, positioning his feet before finally letting go of the tree he was holding onto. One foot went in front of the other, as the young cub shakily made his way, his tiny fingers inches away from his father's large hands…

Then, his foot fell on something sharp, and his dark eyes widened, and he opened his mouth in the most ear-piercing scream Kakarot had ever heard. Birds burst out of the trees in terror, and Kakarot's skin prickled, his senses tingling with the power he sensed, with what he knew was about to happen…

Gohan took another deep breath, and let out a second, even louder cry, and a crack appeared in the tree behind him, as everything near him was pushed away. Kakarot had to use his own energy to stay put. He was stunned. On the one hand, he was concerned that his son was hurt, but on the other…

He was proud. _Really_ proud. His son could do all this, as an infant? Imagine what he would be like as an adult!

"Okay, Gohan, you're okay," he said quickly, scooping him up before his cub could let out another cry. A tiny sliver of wood had lodged itself in his foot, and blood pooled around the angry wound. Kakarot reached towards his foot, but Gohan quickly pulled it away, terrified. He looked into his son's tear-filled eyes as he continued to cry. " _Gohan_ ," he said firmly, his tone causing the young cub to pause for a moment, startled. "You have to trust me. I know it hurts, but it can get better. But first, you have to trust me," he said, gently, but firmly, taking hold of Gohan's foot. Quickly, he pulled the sliver of wood out of his son's foot, and wiped the blood away. "There, now, see? You're okay," he soothed his son.

"That's some power level," a voice said from behind him, and Kakarot glanced up to see a tall Saiyan with long, spiky hair emerge from the surrounding trees, accompanied by a much shorter Saiyan with short hair that spiked straight forward. Raditz was glancing at Gohan wryly, and Baga was smirking, his snow globe cradled protectively to his chest.

Kakarot smirked at his brothers. "Yeah, Gohan's gonna be a strong one, alright," he boasted, his tail brushing against his cub's almost absently. He blinked and looked around. "What brings you guys out here?" he asked. At this time of day, Baga was usually busy in the kitchen of the mess hall, and Raditz was usually busy leading the day's training.

Baga's smirk grew, and he held up the snow globe he was holding. "Ruta and Maca get let out today. Queen Bulma said it's time," he said excitedly. He missed his sister Ruta, especially now that Beet was off in space. Raditz was studying Kakarot, though. The subject of their sisters had been largely untouched between the two of them, and in moments, Baga glanced up as he sensed the tension in the air.

"Has Queen Bulma come up with a way to cure Maca?" Kakarot asked, his voice devoid of inflection. From anyone else, it would have sounded impassive, but from Kakarot, it was almost cold. Baga carefully tucked the snow globe containing his sisters back into his armor.

Raditz's gaze didn't leave Kakarot's. "No," he said simply, and the tension between the brothers was palpable. Maca, due to Dr. Gero's experiments on their mother before she was born, seemed to need to eat people to survive. Ruta, instead of telling their father about it immediately, had helped her hunt down humans in secret. It was no secret that Kakarot had agreed with Queen Bulma's decision to imprison Ruta and Maca, and up to a certain point, Raditz had agreed as well. However, their reasons for agreeing with the decision had been very different. Raditz had been upset that Ruta had kept important information from her family, inadvertently placing them, including his cubs, in danger. Kakarot was much more concerned with the people they had murdered. So, while Raditz and Baga felt that Ruta had more than learned her lesson, Kakarot was less inclined to want them free to kill again.

"Raditz…" Kakarot said warningly, not wanting to fight with his brother over this. So far, the two had left the issue of who was head of the family alone. Kakarot didn't really like the responsibility, and Raditz wasn't strong enough to proclaim the spot for his own, so Raditz generally just picked up the slack that Kakarot left him, and Kakarot made sure to leave plenty of slack. Rare were the situations that Kakarot felt important enough to put his foot down. But this…

"Kakarot," Raditz said, glancing down at Baga and the snow globe tucked under the boy's chest plate. "You don't want this one. You have your hands full, raising a cub with no mate. Leave this to me, brother," he said, his voice subdued. He would not beg, his Saiyan pride wouldn't let him; but he knew an open challenge against Kakarot wouldn't end in his favor. It was as diplomatic as Raditz knew how to be. If Kakarot didn't back down…

Kakarot's jaw clenched. "They'll kill again, Raditz. You know this as well as I do. I won't let them kill humans. If they try… then you force me to put an end to it. _Permanently_ ," he said, looking away.

Baga scowled, stepping forward. "Then you'll have to kill me, too, Kaka," he said bravely, but Raditz placed a hand in front of his chest, holding him back. Baga looked up at his eldest brother, mystified, but Raditz took his own step forward, eyes on Kakarot, and Baga's stomach clenched as he understood what was about to happen.

"Kakarot, you're unfit to lead this family," Raditz said, scowling, and his brothers both tensed. "I challenge you for head of household," he said, steely resolve in his eyes.

Kakarot's shoulders slumped. He didn't want to fight his brother, but Raditz had passed the point of no return. The challenge was made, it had to be answered. Technically, he could ignore challenges made to him, in his official capacity as Vegeta's royal guard, but he was a Saiyan, and they didn't hide behind technicalities. Raditz had the right to challenge him. To ignore it would be worse than beating him into submission.

"Baga, take Gohan and go back to the city," Kakarot said, and Baga quickly moved to do as he was told. He had a sinking feeling that he wasn't going to see Raditz again, and cast his eldest brother a wistful glance as he gathered his young nephew into his arms. He glanced up at Kakarot, who's eyes were fixed on Raditz, and swallowed. He'd never seen Kakarot so serious before.

Gohan, not immune to the tension in the air, squirmed uncomfortably in Baga's arms, and Baga held him close, allowing his energy to propel them both into the air and towards the city as fast as he could fly. As the cub began to whimper, Baga soothed him by brushing his tail against Gohan's. "It's alright, Gohan. Your papa's one of the strongest fighters on this planet," he murmured softly. _That's what I'm worried about,_ he thought to himself wryly.

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Mai watched the other end of the lab as the two men in white lab coats conferred with each other, their voices hushed. The device she had slipped into one of their pockets carried their voices straight to her earpiece, however, and she suppressed a smile as she jotted down anything that she didn't understand right away, for reference when Turles came to her that night.

It was when she felt the cold steel of a gun barrel in her back that her writing stopped. It was moments like this, when it was clear to her that she wasn't like other people. She was _supposed_ to be scared, right now. Instead, she was busy calculating how much more quickly the bullet would tear through her rib cage before the pen in her hand could impale the jugular vein of whoever was holding the gun to her back. However, she would gain no more information if she were dead, and that _was_ the point of coming here.

"Do exactly what I say, and I'll spare your life," a voice whispered from behind her, and Mai was suddenly surprised. She had assumed she had been caught, but… if that were the case, why was this person whispering? Shouldn't they have called the guards?

"You have my attention," Mai said softly, willing to play along. Whatever was going on, this proved to be interesting…

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The two brothers faced each other in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Then with a loud cry, Raditz flew at Kakarot, his large fist speeding towards Kakarot's face. The younger Saiyan made no move to get out of the way, but blocked the fist easily and sent an elbow into the side of Raditz's head, knocking him to the ground. Raditz allowed his energy to speed him in the path of his fall, gripping Kakarot's ankle and sending a powerful kick towards his brother's head. Caught off-guard by such a move, Kakarot hit the ground as his foot was pulled out from under him, but a well-aimed energy blast forced Raditz to let go. After that, it was flying fists as both Saiyans began to get into the fight, the principles they were defending fading into the background, as Saiyan instinct drove them to fight for the pure pleasure of fighting.

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"What do you mean, they're fighting?" Bulma asked the young Saiyan, who was protectively clutching the naked infant to his chest. They were in the infirmary, in case one or both of the girls required medical attention after their six-month exile. Nearby, Turles glanced up from his equipment, and a very bored King Vegeta gazed out of the infirmary's entrance, not even bothering to glance their way.

Baga scowled, trying not to betray the worry he felt. "Raditz challenged Kakarot for head of household," he explained.

"Hmmph. Thought Radditz had more sense than that," Turles muttered, shaking his head at his nephew's stupidity.

"Kaka didn't give him a choice! He wants Ruta and Maca to stay in there forever! He even said, if they killed again, he'd end 'em, _permanently_ ," Baga said in his eldest brother's defense.

Turles sighed. "Dammit, Kakarot," he cursed, shaking his head. "Cub's strong, but _damn_ if he isn't soft…" he said ruefully. Suddenly he winced, as did Baga, and both glanced surreptitiously at King Vegeta, who was looking out the door of the infirmary, his arms crossed. His posture spoke of bored disinterest, but the other two Saiyans knew better than to think that meant he wasn't listening or wouldn't beat the shit out of them for saying the wrong thing. Kakarot might be their family member, but he was also the King's royal guard, and saying the royal guard was soft was the same as saying he, and by extension the King, was weak.

Baga turned to the Queen. "Your highness… are you sure there ain't nothin' we can do to help Maca?" he asked, wanting desperately to find a way around possibly losing a brother.

The blue-haired scientist shared a grim look with Turles, then shook her head, looking back at Baga. "I'm sorry, Baga, but I need more time, and I need to study her more closely, before I can come up with a solution," she said.

Turles shook his head, then cast a glance at King Vegeta. Coming to a decision he had a feeling he would regret, he spoke. "The day when a Saiyan's executed by her own family for being too powerful or too dangerous…" he said, noticing how King Vegeta's shoulders tensed.

" _Say it_ , Turles," came the dangerous growl from King Vegeta, who still wasn't turning around.

Turles stood up straight, squaring his shoulders, setting his jaw. "That's the day we've made a mistake, Sire. That's when we stop being Saiyans," he said plainly, and seconds later, was seeing stars, after his head was slammed into the obsidian wall of the infirmary, a long crack running from the spot. By the time he was able to see straight, King Vegeta was gone, and Baga and Queen Bulma were both bent over him, looking concerned. Well, Baga looked concerned. The Queen looked pissed.

"What the hell was that all about?!" she demanded, wondering what the hell had gotten into Vegeta.

Turles smirked. "I'm alive. Guess this king really is a helluva lot smarter than our last one," he said wryly. At Bulma's confused look, he elaborated. "Never tell a Saiyan king what to do, or that he's wrong about something, unless you're ready for a fight. His father wouldn't have let me live through it. But King Vegeta's smart enough to listen to good advice."

"But he still hit you," the Queen said, frowning.

Turles laughed at that as he stood back up. "No one said he had to like it," he said, shaking his head as if to clear it. His eyes focused on his nephew and grand-nephew. "Baga, get that cub to your sister-in-law. Whatever the hell happens, you don't want your hands full," he said, earning a quick nod from his nephew before he flew off. Turles glanced at Bulma. "Your Highness, I know you and Kakarot are opposed to feeding people to Maca, but… I have a feeling we'll soon have plenty of enemies to send her after, without having to worry about her turning on our own people."

Bulma frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked suspiciously.

Turles gave her a look. "How much do you know about the labs in North City?"

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Mai entered the janitor's closet, followed closely by the man holding the gun on her. Once the door was closed, she turned around, and got a good look at him. He didn't seem like much… a middle-aged man, suffering from too little sleep, and a spark of intelligence that made his disguise as a scientist that much more convincing. In fact…

The man quickly put the gun down on a shelf, his hands shaking slightly. "I'm so sorry, miss, that I had to threaten you, but I didn't know any other way to get you alone," the man said, and Mai was convinced then and there that there was _no_ way this was a trap. No one, not even she, could fake _that_ level of ineptitude.

Mai frowned, not willing to show her hand just yet. "What is this all about?" she asked, careful not to seem too angry or too relaxed, until she knew what was really going on.

The man in the white lab coat bit his lip for a moment, then seemed to decide to push forward. "You're in contact with the Saiyans. I know you are. I lifted a hair from your lab coat yesterday and tested it. It was Saiyan. Not Saiyan/Human hybrid… pure Saiyan. And, if I'm not mistaken… I think I might even know him. Or at least, someone he's related to," the man said, watching her carefully. "I once performed a surgical procedure on his son, when I was in the employ of a Dr. Briefs," he revealed.

Mai merely blinked at him. "What is it that you want?" she asked carefully, neither admitting nor denying what he implied. The scientist watched her carefully, then sighed.

"Look… I'm trying to help. Dr. Briefs was a close friend of mine, and what they did to him and his family…. it was reprehensible. I think you're here for the same reason that I am… to stop the people responsible for this facility, and to free the Saiyan children they have imprisoned here. I can help you get into the part of the facility where they're being kept, but… I'm not strong enough to get them out myself. Can… can you help me?" he asked.

Mai could tell he was stressed out, that he was taking a big risk. She could also tell he was a lousy spy, and was likely to get them both killed. She sighed. "I wanted information, not to storm the fortress," she said, shaking her head. "This isn't the only facility like this that they have. Freeing the hybrids here won't do the ones kept in the other facilities any good, and it won't keep them from making more," she said coldly.

The scientist shook his head. "What the hell kind of person are you?! Don't you care at all about these children? About what they're being made to endure?" he asked, exasperated.

In seconds, the scientist found himself pressed against the wall, with what felt like a sharp metal blade pressed against his neck, Mai's cold eyes and warm breath inches away from his face. "Are they being strapped to a table, while doctors place electric probes on their temples, and send 150 volts of electricity coursing through their brains?" she asked softly. "Are they being routinely drugged and molested, then told they imagined the whole thing, and no one will ever believe them because they're crazy, anyway?" she asked. When the scientist just stared at her with wide eyes, she cocked her head. "Believe me when I say, I can imagine what they're probably doing to those kids. No matter how many of the vermin you eviscerate, the monsters just keep coming back. Nothing will ever protect those kids from this world, as long as it exists. We can swoop in and save them now, but until they save themselves, until they take their own vengeance, they will _still_ be victims," she hissed, the knife blade pressing just hard enough that a tiny rivulet of blood ran down its edge. " _That's_ what kind of person I am, doctor. I'm the kind of person who has learned to take her own vengeance."

The scientist swallowed hard. "Please… just… help me. Help _them_. At least… help me give them a chance," he begged, his voice hoarse with the pressure of the knife against his throat.

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Kakarot's senses were on alert as he cast about for his older brother. Raditz was clearly the weaker of the two, but he was also the more experienced, and had been fighting opponents stronger than himself for much longer than Kakarot had. When they were younger, Raditz had been the stronger one, and would purposely leave himself open to afford himself a better challenge. Now, however, this wasn't the bullying older brother Kakarot was fighting. This was the battle-hardened warrior who somehow managed to stay alive around the likes of Nappa and Vegeta. "You can't hide forever, Raditz," Kakarot shouted, feeling as though his brother had rested from their last bout long enough. "You know I'm right about this. Submit, and I'll knock you out cold and clean," he offered. It was the only form of mercy his brother would accept, he knew. There was no honor in both men walking away from this battle conscious. Anything less would mean they weren't fighting with their all.

"That's just it, Kakarot…. you're wrong," Raditz's voice came from somewhere behind him, but Kakarot had fallen for that before, and knew better than to think that's where Raditz actually was. "Admit it. You care more about these pathetic humans than you do about your own sisters."

Kakarot scowled. "That's not true, Raditz! But I won't let them go around killing people, either. I made a promise, to protect this world!"

"And Kakarot never breaks a promise," Raditz taunted, carefully keeping his location hidden. "You're always so careful to uphold your promises, but what of the responsibilities you were born to? What of the orders you were given before you were sent here? What of your responsibility as head of our household? You have no trouble abandoning _those_ responsibilities!"

"I never chose to come here!" Kakarot shouted at the voice hiding in the surrounding trees. "I was a baby, told to do something that was wrong! I don't feel bad at all for disobeying _that_ order!"

"And you chose to be raised by humans? To have your head filled with their weakling nonsense?!" Raditz's retort came, sounding much closer this time.

Kakarot kept his guard up. "It's not nonsense! Humans care about each other, they hold human life as sacred," he said, frowning.

"Yes. The Red Ribbon Army was a testament to _that_ ," Raditz sneered sardonically. "You know that's bullshit, Kakarot. Humans are no better than we are. The only difference between us, aside from our strength, is the fact that we are willing to _admit_ we aren't saints. If a human family had a child who consumed the bodies of aliens, do you really think they would be so quick to wish that child dead?"

 _There._ Seconds later, Kakarot's fist was in Raditz's face, his knuckles cracking against the hard Saiyan skull. "I won't let her be a monster!" he screamed out, as his fist flew forward again and again, the smell of Raditz's blood setting his own on fire, screaming at his body to finish it.

Suddenly, it was as though his fist was being squeezed in a vice, and it was no longer the bloody face of Raditz he was glaring into, but the cold eyes of Vegeta. "You mean, a monster like _you_ are, Kakarot?" Vegeta's cold voice hissed, cutting Kakarot right to the bone.

His king was never one to mince words.

Kakarot scowled, never having been afraid to speak his mind to King Vegeta. "I'm _not_ a monster. I do what I can to protect the people around me," he said, his eyes flashing. Vegeta had arrived in Super Saiyan form, ready to battle, knowing Kakarot might be in the sway of his instincts right now, and it was only that fact that allowed Kakarot the presence of mind to hold back.

Vegeta smirked. "You protect _monsters,_ Kakarot. You protect me, in my sleep, even after all the things I've done, after all the people I've killed. What does that make _you_?" he asked, his tone cold and cruel as only the truth could be.

Kakarot wanted to retort, that King Vegeta wasn't like that anymore, but despite what everyone might say to the contrary, he wasn't _that_ stupid. Giving voice to such a thought would only spur the Saiyan king to prove him wrong, which would effectively destroy everything that Kakarot fought to protect. He scowled. "Protecting someone despite what they've done doesn't make me evil," Kakarot replied, his jaw clenched.

Vegeta sneered at that. "The question wasn't whether or not you were _evil_ , Kakarot. It's whether or not you're a _monster._ And, believe me when I say, you're one of the most vicious monsters around. Which is the _only_ reason you're still my royal guard," he said, finally releasing Kakarot's fist. "You're a prodigy, Kakarot, an elite warrior the likes of which few can measure up to, but you're a terrible leader. You said so yourself to Saru, all those years ago, do you remember?" he asked.

It took Kakarot a moment, but the memory soon came to him. Vegeta continued. "We had just met, and your uncle tricked you into pledging to be my royal guard. Saru asked you why you chose to follow me, instead of just killing me, and taking my place as the leader of the Saiyans. What did you say to him, Kakarot?" he asked.

Kakarot frowned. "I said it was stupid to think that, just because someone was stronger, that they'd make a better leader," he answered.

Vegeta glanced down at Raditz, who was bleeding profusely on the ground, but still somewhat conscious. "If you wish to kill your brother, fine. It's your right to do so. But don't delude yourself into thinking it's anything more than the stupid act of a stupid man, who can't accept the fact that he might be wrong," he said, rolling his eyes. "You can ask Broly what this course of action will lead you to. His power was _also_ feared when he was but an infant," Vegeta said, crossing his arms.

Kakarot's eyes went wide. Was…. was _that_ what he was doing? Was he acting out of _fear_? He looked down at his older brother, bruised and bleeding. Raditz had known he wouldn't stand a chance against Kakarot, but still felt his stance was important enough to risk his life over. Which meant…

"I _am_ stupid," Kakarot said, and laughed, the sound startling the other two Saiyans as Kakarot scratched the back of his head, still chuckling. Holding out his hand to his brother, Raditz reluctantly took it, allowing himself to be pulled up to his feet by his brother. "Raditz… thanks for the work out, but I think you should lead this family from here. I ain't all that good at it, and King Vegeta's got enough enemies to make guarding him a full-time job," he laughed, earning a look of confusion from his brother, and an unapologetic smirk from King Vegeta. Suddenly, Kakarot's face turned serious. "But tell Ruta and Maca, if I catch them hunting innocent people, I'm going to stop them, one way or another," he said, his eyes like steel.

Raditz regarded him for a long moment, then gave a nod. "Fair enough, brother," he said, and allowed Kakarot's tail to brush up against his, a firm understanding passing between them.

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By the time Kakarot, and Raditz arrived at the infirmary, the others had been waiting there for hours. Bulma sighed in exasperation when they finally arrived, but Baga was more elated that both of his brothers were still alive and well. From their body language, Baga could tell they'd come to some kind of agreement. A doubt nagged the back of his mind, and he wondered if Raditz had agreed to do things Kakarot's way, to imprison his sisters again, or have them put to death, but the amused glance Raditz sent his way caused him to relax. No… Raditz wouldn't have backed down, not for something important like this. He had made Kakarot see reason.

Raditz stepped forward, holding his hand out to Baga, and Baga took the snow globe he'd been carefully protecting out from under his chest plate and handed it to his oldest brother. Raditz looked down at the snow globe in his hand, at the tiny house in the center of it, surrounded by grass and tiny little trees, inside which resided his two younger sisters. He allowed his energy to flow into the snow globe, knowing his sister Ruta would recognize it as his, and hopefully recognize a change was about to take place. He then looked at Queen Bulma, and held out the snow globe. "Your Highness… we ask that you please release our sisters from their captivity," he said formally.

Baga noticed that Kakarot leaned against the wall of the infirmary, allowing Raditz to take the lead, and he came to stand beside his brother. Softly, Kakarot's tail brushed up against Baga's, and the two shared a quick glance, after which both watched what was going on, Baga doing his best to hide a smirk. All was right in their family again, and soon, they were all going to be reunited.

"I still think this is a bad idea," Bulma replied, scowling, but took the snow globe from Raditz. Deftly, she pressed a latch on its underside, causing the glass bubble to lift off of the base. She then picked up a device from the table, and pressed a button on it. Two tiny dots could be seen flying out of the bubble, getting larger and larger, until, standing before them, were two young girls, dressed in oversized T-shirts, with their tails wrapped around their waists. They were both approximately the same height, about as tall as Baga, though one had long, spiky hair like Raditz's, and the other had shorter spiky hair, down to about her shoulders. They both had wild looks in their eyes, and stood back to back, facing off against the people that had suddenly surrounded them.

Queen Bulma frowned. This didn't make any sense… Maca had been an infant when she had gone into the snow globe, surely she couldn't have grown this much in six months? She was about to voice her thoughts, when she caught sight of Raditz's stance, and realized that the atmosphere was suddenly very tense.

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Two figures in white lab coats walked down the corridor, passing soldiers with guns, trying to pretend they belonged in this wing. The woman, at least, was walking confidently… the man, not so much, he kept casting sideways glances over his shoulder as they passed the guards. Mai rolled her eyes and scowled, speaking quietly. "Knock it off, you're going to draw their attention," she said, handing him a clipboard. "Here, take this and look at it, like you're studying the figures. Just don't bump into me," she said, trying not to roll her eyes.

Dr. Zohan took the clipboard, and did his best to pretend to be reading the sheets of paper clipped to it. "Just a little farther. My key card should still work, they granted me access to this wing yesterday," he whispered, trying not to look obvious… and _failing_.

Mai sighed, wondering if she would have to fight her way out of this wing before it was all said and done. However, when they got to the door in question, the key card worked, and they were permitted entrance.

What Mai saw inside made her stomach clench.

Dozens of children, all wearing black spandex, all performing fighting drills, each movement in perfect unison. It was a platoon of them, and though they had different hair colors, they had the same facial features, Mai could recognize familiar traits in all of them. These children had no tails, but there was no mistaking it. They were Saiyan, or at least part Saiyan.

And they all reminded her of….

"Korn?" she breathed, looking confused. Give each of these children a reddish-brown mohawk and black eyes, and they would be his spitting image. Which meant… "Kami, I knew the guy was a lech, but I thought he had a _little_ more control than this,"she said, then frowned. "How are they so old? Korn hasn't been on this planet for _that_ long…"

"They're genetically engineered. I doubt he's even aware of their existence, his genetic material has been modified, then used to inseminate human females," Dr. Zohan said, looking a bit pale. "The mothers… don't last long. One day they get pregnant, a month later, it comes bursting out of them, and then is shipped here. That's how some of them look like teenagers… their aging process has been multiplied," he said, frowning.

"Why, Mai," a voice said suddenly from behind them. Mai spun around, to see Dr. Noki, accompanied by two armed guards. "You didn't have to come all the way here, I would have come by the lab to pick you up," he said smoothly, a cruel glint in his eyes.

Mai sighed. And _this_ was why she worked with the bad guys. They didn't let mercy force them into stupid decisions like _this._

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Ruta gazed at the people around them warily, knowing that this could very well be the end for them. For six months, she and Maca had trained, for this very moment. Raditz stepped forward, and Ruta prepared herself, scowling.

" _Ruta,"_ Raditz said, his tone forbidding, and _scolding_ even. "Stand down. You're being released from your exile," he said, his scowl equally severe.

Ruta took a subconscious step backwards, closer to Maca. "And my sister?" she asked warily.

Raditz gave her a knowing smirk. "Both of you," he reassured her.

It was a possibility Ruta hadn't even considered, she'd been so convinced she'd have to fight for her sister's protection once they got out of that place. Her eyes searched Raditz's, and saw strength there, as her brother took another step forward. Ruta could feel Maca's eyes on her, looking to her for direction, and she let her tail brush up against her sister's, focusing on her intentions. Then Ruta stepped towards Raditz, never breaking his gaze…

And relaxed her guard.

Giving her an approving nod, Raditz turned his eyes towards his impossibly grown up baby sister. He was reminded of when Kakarot had stood up to his waist one month, then the next month came back as tall as he was. Growing too quickly was starting to become a family trend. She was looking to Ruta, for direction. Raditz's jaw set. _That_ would end right here.

Stepping forward, he approached his baby sister, standing between her and Ruta. Maca's eyes met his, and Raditz was caught off-guard. She looked lost, but… not afraid. Not even remotely. If anything, she was gazing at him, _clinically_ , as though trying to determine who or what he was.

Or if he were _food._

"I'm Raditz, your oldest brother, and head of this family," he said, wondering at her stance. She was _not_ behaving the way a Saiyan cub typically would. "Do you understand me?"

Maca gazed at him for a long moment before speaking. "Ruta said you'd want to kill me because I'm different," she said, eyebrow raised.

Raditz was taken aback. Not just at how eloquent she seemed, and not just at the question… it was the way she said it. As though, the prospect of him wanting to kill her was more a matter of curiosity instead of a cause for concern. Which either made her very stupid, or very, very strong.

Raditz crossed his arms. "I want to protect you, not kill you," he said, his eyes hard as steel. "Follow my rules and King Vegeta's laws, and you'll be fine. _Fail_ to do so-"

"And you'll be forced to kill me," Maca interrupted, her eyes boring into his. "Are you stronger than me?" she asked, bluntly.

Raditz blinked. It was…. it was such a Saiyan thought, presented in such a non-Saiyan way. He had expected her to test his strength… he hadn't expected her to _ask_ about it. He prepared himself for a fight.

"Not in _here_ you don't!" Turles exclaimed, scowling. At Raditz's glance, he crossed his arms. "This is an _infirmary_. I've worked _hard_ to procure this equipment. If you need to pound the brat, do it in the arena. Or _anywhere else,_ " he demanded.

Raditz scowled back at Maca. "Outside. _Now,_ " he said, in no uncertain terms. Maca blinked at him for a long moment, then shrugged, turning around and walking out of the infirmary. The infirmary was built on the ground level inside the Arena, so that those injured during fighting or training wouldn't have to be jostled too much to get there, so when Maca stepped out of the door, she found herself surrounded by high obsidian walls, all around her in a large circle, with the blue sky above.

There were people in the arena, fighting each other, and Maca gazed at them in fascination. There were Saiyans, but also many humans, and Maca could feel the aching void within her _begging_ to be filled with _something_. But she and her sister had an understanding on the matter, and she would _not_ be hunting _today…_

She could sense others coming out of the infirmary behind her, and her eyes fell on Ruta's. Her sister's glance was somewhat apologetic, but didn't seem terribly concerned. Maca could tell that Ruta trusted Raditz.

But Maca would make her _own_ determination.

Her eyes turned to this tall, male version of Ruta, and she stretched lazily, almost cat-like in her movements, her eyes taking in his every motion. Raditz, for his part, stood ready, but with his arms crossed, looking her over.

"You asked if I'm stronger than you," Raditz said after a moment when she didn't attack, mystified by her strange body language. "Come find out," he said darkly.

Maca smirked. "Ok," she said pleasantly, then quickly began her attack.

And was just as quickly pounded into the ground.

Raditz scowled. "What the hell was _that_?" he asked, unsure if he should be offended at the weak attack, or if she were really that weak.

Maca stood, brushing the dirt from her t-shirt. "Looks like you _are_ stronger .than me," she said effortlessly, with a shrug. She met his eyes. "I'll do what you say."

…. Raditz blinked. "Wha- just like _that?!_ You aren't even going to _try?!_ " he growled furiously.

Maca stared up at him. "Beat me up some more if it makes you feel better. I just wanted to make sure you were stronger than me, that's all. I don't have a lot of energy to expend today, Ruta only gave me so much," she said, shrugging.

Raditz frowned, then turned his eyes to Ruta questioningly.

Ruta bit her lip. "I've been feeding Maca… from my own energy," she said, shifting from one foot to another.

Turles growled at that. "Like mother, like fucking daughter," he grumbled, then scowled at Raditz. "You done with 'em? They both need to be scanned, immediately," he said. Raditz gave a nod, then Turles glared at the two girls. "Inside, get on the beds," he ordered them, then turned and entered the infirmary.

Raditz placed a hand on Maca's shoulder before she entered, causing her to look up. "You're going to get your energy back, Maca, and then we're going to have a rematch. I won't have you giving up so easily. You're better than that," he said, scowling.

Maca searched his gaze for a long moment, then her tail brushed up against his, surprising him. She gave him a small smirk, which after a moment, he returned, releasing her shoulder. She went into the infirmary, and he gazed after her, thoughtfully.

Kakarot came to stand beside him, watching her go. "Is it just me, or was she smaller before?" he asked, earning an eye-roll from his brother.

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It hadn't taken long for Turles to discover that both girls were severely malnourished, Ruta because she'd been letting Maca leach from her, not just energy, but also certain vital nutrients, and Maca, because her body seemed to lack the ability to metabolize food to create energy. When he had revealed that to Queen Bulma, she had paled considerably. Apparently, when the Queen had imprisoned them in that snow globe, she had never intended to starve the infant to death.

Which, of course, begged the question of why, and how, Maca had grown so quickly. Ruta told Turles that Maca had grown that large shortly after their imprisonment began… which was also shortly after Maca had consumed Zarbon. Turles hypothesized that consuming such a strong fighter provided Maca with the energy she needed to grow large enough to ensure her survival, energy she hadn't been able to receive from the humans she had consumed before then. If his theory was correct, it seemed that the only way for Maca to ever get any stronger, was to eat stronger fighters.

"Uncle Turles… will Maca be okay?" Ruta asked after Queen Bulma left, breaking Turles from his reverie.

Turles cast a glance at his niece. "You should be more worried about yourself. Do you have any idea how close your body is to shutting down right now? Your days of feeding your sister that way are over, don't let me catch you doin' it again. You've depleted your body's stores of certain nutrients, your simial gland is stunted, and your seichal organ is close to failing, not to mention the stress you've put on your heart. For the next week, I want you to do nothing but eat, sleep, and fight, in that order. Next week, you're going to spend some time in your Oozaru form in one of Queen Bulma's miniaturization domes, until your hormones normalize," he said, glaring at her attempts to protest. "I won't send you in there alone, but you're going in, and you're going Oozaru. Doctor's orders," he said in no uncertain terms. Reluctantly, Ruta looked away, and gave him a nod.

"What about me?" Maca asked, curiously, casually draped across the infirmary bed. "Can I go Oozaru, too? Sounds fun!"

Turles grunted. "Don't think it's gonna work like that, though I'll need to run some more tests to find out," he told her, frowning. "Don't know what your sister's told ya, cub, but some human asshole named Dr. Gero messed with you when your mama was pregnant. He seems to have repurposed your seichal organ, and removed your simial gland completely. Basically, the part of your body that's supposed to be able to turn you into a giant Oozaru, bent on wonton destruction, now seems to be what turns you from a mewling infant to a smartass cub Ruta's age. But, it ain't all bad news," he said, smirking.

Maca's eyebrow rose at that. "Oh? Don't leave me in suspense, old man," she said.

Turles narrowed his eyes at her. "Call me old man, again, and you ain't gettin' fed today." At her look of confusion, he shrugged. "I have somethin' in mind for you, cub, a way you can get all that you need, without pissin' off the King, _or_ your brothers," he said, smirking. "And you get to protect your own kind while you're at it," he added, crossing his arms.

"You're sending her into danger, aren't you?" Ruta accused, getting up from the bed, her arms crossed.

Turles shrugged. "Probably," he said, gauging Maca's reaction to that out of the corner of his eye.

The younger cub shrugged. "I'm in," she said casually.

Ruta scowled at her. "You just got your ass handed to you. Do you really want to put yourself in danger without giving yourself a chance to rest?" she demanded.

Maca blinked at her sister. "You don't trust him?" she asked, confused.

Ruta glanced at Turles, then back at Maca. "Not a lot," she said finally, scowling. This earned a mere shrug from Turles, who hadn't really expected a shining declaration of faith from his niece, or from anyone, for that matter.

Maca raised an eyebrow at that. "Then you trust him a little," she said, looking him over. "I'll trust him a little, too. At least long enough to get something to eat," she said, shrugging.

Turles smirked in approval, then glanced at the door of the infirmary, where Baga seemed to be waiting. "Go to your brother, Ruta. Get something to eat. Don't worry… I'll bring Maca back to you, in one piece," he said with a sigh.

Ruta cast a final look at Maca, then turned to Turles, her eyes narrowed. "If you don't, then believe me when I say, I will spend the rest of my life seeing to it that you die horribly," she hissed, and there was no doubt in Turles's mind that she meant every word of it. With that, she turned and left the infirmary, joining her brother Baga outside.

Turles scowled after her, then turned to Maca. "Come on, brat. Let's get you someone to eat."

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Dr. Zohan was on the floor, broken and bleeding, and Mai wasn't doing much better, though at least she had kept her feet. Dr. Noki had decided to use them for training fodder for the hybrids. The old neurosurgeon hadn't lasted long, though Mai had managed to get a few good hits in, before getting beaten down by some little girl with her brown hair in pigtails. When Mai was on her knees, spitting up blood, Dr. Noki raised a hand, causing the little girl to pause and step back. He crossed his arms, smirking at her. "These hybrids are something else, don't you think? Stronger than a full-blooded Saiyan, with none of their limiting biological imperatives, as long as you take away the giant monkey factor. They make excellent soldiers, strong, loyal to a fault, human-like intelligence. Once we perfect the cloning process, we'll be able to replace our human armies completely with these hybrids," he boasted.

Mai shot him a cold glance. "Stupid," she said, shaking her head.

Dr. Noki scowled at that. "What?!" he demanded.

Mai raised an eyebrow. "You have them aging too fast. They'll be old before they even finish training," she said.

This made the gray-haired scientist chuckle. "The rapid growth wears off after puberty, and the hybrids learn quickly. Besides, who really cares if they get old? They can fight for most of their lives, and if they do get old, we can just replace them with younger ones. Better that way, they get replaced before they start getting ideas of their own. Expendable soldiers, Mai. Surely a woman of science like yourself can see the ingenuity of that," he said, shrugging.

Mai blinked at that. "Oh. I'm not a woman of science," she said, shrugging.

Dr. Noki frowned. "I'm sorry, what?" he asked, confused. "But… your work…"

Mai shrugged. "I have no clue what any of that was. You'll have to talk to my mate, _he's_ the scientist," she said.

"Your.. your _mate_?" Dr. Noki asked, scowling.

"A Saiyan," she said, smirking. "Just so you know why you're dying, when he shows up later to break every bone in your body," she said, eyebrow raised.

The gray-haired scientist's eyes went wide. "You- you're one of those red-sleeved Saiyan whores!" he spat, stepping back.

"Earth Defense Squad," Mai corrected, and glared at the hybrids around her. "So I know a real Saiyan when I see one. And _these_ pathetic knock-offs are about as Saiyan as a box of kittens," she said coldly.

One of them, a gaunt, pale teenage boy with dark eyes, grunted at that, rolling his eyes. "42 kicked your ass, and she still can't read," he said, crossing his arms.

" _You_ can't read, either, 3!" the little girl growled angrily.

"ENOUGH! Who told you to speak?!" Dr. Noki shouted, his lip curled. Immediately, the hybrids stood at attention, silence falling over the group.

A silence which was broken by cold laughter. Dr. Noki turned and glared at Mai. "What's so funny?" he demanded.

Mai smirked. "I told you they weren't Saiyans. Saiyans only respect strength. There's no way Saiyans would ever follow a weakling like you," she said, only to be backhanded roughly by Dr. Noki.

"Yet here you are, on your knees before me," he sneered.

"Because of _their_ strength, _not yours,_ " Mai hissed, her eyes sliding to meet his, even as he pulled out a gun, aiming it straight at her head. She smirked. "You have to take their tails and their pride, so maybe they'll buy your bullshit that they have no choice but to follow you. You think they're dumb animals you can train, so that you can feel powerful. But eventually, they're going to realize you are just _too fucking_ _wea-_ ,"

A loud crack of gunfire cut off whatever she was about to say.

And then the gun clattered to the ground as the man Dr. Noki had shot point-blank gripped him by the throat, lifting him off the ground.

A wild-haired Saiyan with dark eyes stared coldly into his. "Are you flirting with my mate?" he asked, his fingers tightening.

The soldiers looked at each other nervously, taking aim, but afraid to hit the scientist. Turles paid them no mind, as he cocked his head at the scientist. "Lucky for you, I'm feeling very merciful today," he said, and dropped Dr. Noki, allowing the man to gasp for air on the floor. He glanced down at a little girl who appeared behind him, wearing an oversized dirty yellow T-shirt, with a tail wrapped around her waist. She was looking at the hybrids curiously. A lot of them were her age. "Maca," Turles said, getting her attention. "Hungry?" he asked her, his eyes flicking to the scientist on the floor.

Maca grinned.

"What… are you waiting for… kill them!" Dr. Noki ordered the hybrids.

Turles raised an eyebrow at them, smirking. "I could use a good spar," he said, as if the scientist hadn't spoken. "Maca, hurry up and eat, and mind those soldiers with the guns, those bullets sting like a bitch," he said, walking towards the group of hybrids.

What ensued in that moment was madness. The hybrids all ganged up on Turles, but he was knocking them off of him one after the other, not pulling any punches, uncaring of how young or what gender his opponents were; they were all beaten back with the same cold ruthlessness, as he abandoned himself to his instincts. The hybrids had to fight with everything they had to survive, and some of them could be seen almost grinning as they attacked. Their excitement and battle cries drowned out the terrified cries of Dr. Noki as he slowly withered, as his flesh was liquefied and consumed by a hungry little girl in a yellow t-shirt.

Mai was at Dr. Zohan's side, checking his pulse. Satisfied he was still alive, she picked up Dr. Noki's gun, and worked to defend their position from the soldiers who had started firing at them. It wasn't long until she was out of bullets, however; but Maca had appeared behind one of the soldiers, and when all that was left of him were clothes and a machine gun, had appeared next to Mai long enough to drop the gun off before disappearing again. More soldiers came, but between Mai's sniper-like precision and Maca's sneak attacks, their numbers were thinned just as quickly.

However, the soldiers began to use a new tactic, completely mowing down everyone and everything in the training room. The stronger of the hybrids merely dodged or deflected the bullets, as did Turles, but Mai got hit in the stomach and the shoulder, and a few of the younger hybrids got hit.

One of them, a little boy who looked to be no more than 5 humans years old, hit the ground, eyes staring up lifelessly.

The tall, gaunt-looking hybrid was staring down at the corpse, killed by soldiers from his own side, and his furious gaze rose to meet those of the soldier who had shot him. The room began to shake, and the other fighters turned, sensing the large swelling of energy in the room.

Turles watched the hybrid, quickly realizing what had happened, and narrowed his eyes at the human soldiers. _Wasteful,_ he thought. _What's the point of making cubs if you're just going to treat them like trash? All you end up with is trash…._

Like an explosion, power erupted from the gaunt hybrid, and a large smoking hole was all that was left of the side of the room most of the soldiers had been shooting from. The hole left a path of devastation so wide, and so far, that sunlight could be seen through it, even though they were almost a mile underground. Hybrids and soldiers alike gazed wide-eyed at the boy, and he turned on the other soldiers, a snarl on his face.

Turles crossed his arms, the movement causing the hybrids around him to tense up. "Go get your vengeance. I can wait," he said, leaning up against a wall.

The hybrids exchanged glances, and one of them, a little girl with pigtails, cried out, "They killed 45!" Tears in her eyes, she looked to the tall boy, who met her eyes with a cold glare of his own. With a nod, he lifted his hand towards the rest of the soldiers, who suddenly began shooting again, and a large beam of energy exploded out of him, collapsing the other side of the room, incinerating everything and everyone in its path.

The silence that descended afterwards proved that either, the boy's last attack had killed the last of the human soldiers, or the rest of the soldiers and scientists in the facility had found somewhere else to be. From the devastation that was left, the reality was probably a little of both.

A gasping sound caught Turles's attention, and a young girl with red hair held her side, blood seeping from underneath her fingers. Another young hybrid was clutching his leg, trying to keep the blood from going everywhere, and his mate looked to be leaning precariously against a wall, and his nose picked up quite a bit of _her_ blood as well. Cursing, he pulled something from beneath his armor. He bent over the girl gasping at his feet, intent on injecting her with the syringe in his hand, but a low growl made him pause, as he sensed the tall boy from earlier preparing an attack.

The Saiyan's dark eyes rose to meet the hybrid's. "If I wanted her dead, I'd snap her neck. This'll save her life," he said. Quickly, he injected the girl with the serum, then rose up and moved towards his mate, who it turned out had not one, but two gunshot wounds, on top of the thrashing she'd already received before they started shooting. Another syringe appeared in his hand, and soon she, too, was being injected. Dr. Zohan was next, and then Turles made a move towards the boy with the bullet hole in his leg, but the tall boy from before blocked his way.

Turles met his glare head-on, knowing exactly what the boy was thinking. He smirked. "Don't even know why it bothers you, huh, cub? You just know that it _does_ ," he said.

The boy scowled. "I don't trust you."

"Good, you shouldn't," Turles said, shrugging. He fingered the syringe in his hand. "Personally, I could care less if you let your cub over there bleed out. I consider it a matter of personal pride to thwart death when I can, I consider it a challenge. But if you'd rather he died for his weakness, that's up to you," he said.

The boy glared at him for a long moment, before standing aside. Turles raised an eyebrow, then went to the boy's side, injecting him with the serum. Soon his bullet hole began to close up, the way the others' wounds had healed up.

Turles glanced down at the dead hybrid, who was still staring up at the ceiling lifelessly. He grunted. "Fucking humans," he muttered. "What's your name, boy?" he asked the tall hybrid who had stood up to him.

"I'm Three," he said, frowning.

"That's a number, not a name," Turles said, glaring. "You can come up with better than that," he said.

"Reaper," a younger hybrid said, this one with messy black hair and dark eyes. At Turles's glance, he said, "It's his nick-name. We… we're supposed to go by our numbers, but…" he trailed off, looking around helplessly.

Turles nodded, turning back to the tall boy. "Reaper, then. You can throw in your lot with the humans, or you can come with us. Our king's an asshole, but so are the rest of us, so you'll fit right in," he said, shrugging.

Reaper glared. "We're supposed to _kill_ the Saiyans, not _join_ them," he said, looking conflicted.

"You _are_ them," Mai said, crossing her arms. "Do you really think the humans will do anything other than kill you for what you did here?" she asked incredulously.

"They can _try_ ," the little girl with brown pigtails said, scowling. She turned to look at Reaper. "They killed 45. He wasn't even a month old, yet, and they shot him 'cause he was in the way," she said, venom in her young voice.

Reaper held her gaze for a long time, then looked at the others. They were all looking to him, for guidance. He blinked, never having been in this position before. His eyes met Turles's. "Your king doesn't want us dead?"

Turles smirked. "King Vegeta doesn't even know you exist," he said, shaking his head. "Damn humans like to think they're so important, but the truth is, if King Vegeta was really out to get them all like they think he is, they'd already be dead. Lucky for them, he doesn't give a shit. Either that, or he's hoping the humans will eventually get strong enough to present a halfway decent challenge. Hope not, he might get pissed we intervened," he muttered, glancing around. "Maca! You survive?" he called out, looking bored.

"Of course," came a sarcastic reply, as she reappeared. She had appropriated a camouflage jacket from a dead soldier, likely one of her meals, given the lack of blood or bullet holes. It came down to her knees, but she had torn off the sleeves to it, and wore it as though she had always worn it.

"Hope you got enough to eat, kid, we won't get another one of these for a while," he said, and turned to Mai. She raised an eyebrow coolly, and leaned into him, allowing him to wrap an arm around her possessively. He glanced at Dr. Zohan, who was watching everything with barely hidden fascination. "It's Zohan, right? You helped me with Gine back when we first got here," he said, finally placing the scientist.

Dr. Zohan smiled. "Yes, good to see you again, Turles. Thank you for whatever that was in the syringe. I'd love to discuss its contents with you at some point," he said.

"Hn," Turles responded. "More might be on their way, you staying here, or coming with us?" he asked.

Dr. Zohan glanced at Reaper. "I think I'll go wherever the hybrids are going… whatever they decide, they'll need my help, I've been researching the process the humans have used to create them, I'm familiar with their… _peculiarities_ ," he said.

Reaper sighed. "Guess we're all going," he said finally.

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King Vegeta studied the group of hybrids as they all knelt before him in the Arena. They were cubs, even younger than they looked, from what Turles had said, yet soon they would be adults. He was inwardly furious that his people were being toyed with this way, but from the sound of it, the cubs had taken their own vengeance, so the matter was closed. _For the moment_. Turles and Mai reported there were other places where humans were doing the same thing, so he was certain this wasn't the end of it. On one hand, their numbers easily doubled now, but on the other… this was _not_ how he wanted to rebuild his race.

"Korn!" he called, and the dark-eyed Saiyan with the red mohawk came forward and saluted. "Turns out you're their father, do you claim them?" he asked.

Korn glanced at the large group of hybrid cubs, and shook his head. "Hell no, Sire. I ain't no father, I'd just ruin 'em," he said truthfully, with a shrug.

Vegeta grunted at that, having expected such a response. Secretly, he was relieved; having most of their population be part of a single family other than his own was a good way to introduce dissension among their already meager numbers. He scowled. "I declare these hybrids to be everyone's. They're ours, and we protect what's ours," he said, noticing the oldest, the one they called Reaper, glance up at him in confusion. He met the cub's eyes. "Grow up, get stronger, make yourselves useful. That's your job. Learn the rules, don't piss me off, and you'll always be my people," he said, and turned away, disappearing back inside.

The hybrids rose, looking at each other in confusion. Almost instantly, adult Saiyans surrounded them, and three and four at a time were taken by Saiyan families, until only Reaper stood there, watching his whole unit melt away, to begin their new lives as mere children, not an army, not the weapon of the human armies. He was startled by a hand on his shoulder, and spun around, glaring. He saw Turles standing there, returning his glare. "You're ours tonight," he said in the customary greeting, gesturing with his head for Reaper to follow him.

"I don't need anyone to take care of me," he said, frowning.

Turles raised an eyebrow at that. "That's why I picked you. Less of a hassle. Now come on, no Saiyan sleeps alone," he said, and began to walk, not looking back to see if he was following.

Reaper watched him for a long moment, before following.

 **A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed it, and I hope I did justice to these characters, I like to get my OC's from you guys, and Reaper (and one of the other hybrids) was submitted a while back by one of my precious readers. I'm trying to get things moving again, got plans to put in motion. My time is limited, so updates may be slow, but… I'm baaaaaack! :D**


	10. The Tournament, Part 1

_**A/N: Ok, readers, I'm back, and back to two-part episodes! This particular episode introduces a character one of my faithful readers, and fellow collaborators, was nice enough to create for me… so please be nice to my stepdaughter's creation, would you guys? Hope you enjoy!**_

 **Episode 6**

 **The Tournament, Part 1**

Stars streamed past them, like smears of light, as the ship sped on its way to Namek. They'd had to stop for supplies, despite Baga's contribution to their mission, and had fallen prey to Engie's gambling addiction before Beet finally put his foot down and dragged the man back to the ship. Now they were on their way again, and Doragastu gazed out at the stars, wondering how many travelers had gazed at those same stars thinking the same thoughts he was.

"Moon-wrong, it's your turn," Engie's gruff voice said, breaking Doragastu out of his reverie as he turned to regard the bones on the floor.

"This game is a lie. There is no chance," he murmured, his version of grumbling, and Engie narrowed his eyes as the purple-eyed Saiyan took his seat and picked up the bone fragments.

"Are you sayin' I rigged the game?!" Engie growled warningly.

Beet blinked, stretching as he gazed at Doragastu. "He means, there's no chance, as in, there's no such thing as chance, that everything's pre-determined, not that you're a cheater, Engie," he said, catching an intense gaze from Doragastu. "Right?" he asked.

Doragastu gave a ghost of a smirk. "You mirror me, Beet," he said softly, and gently rolled the fragments around in his hand.

At Engie's strange look, Beet translated, "He means I'm right."

Engie grunted. "Great, I'm bringin' you back to your papa, and he ain't gonna understand a damn word you're saying, cub," he said, shaking his head. "It's one thing to pick up his fighting style, but you don't need to pick up his crazy, too," he scolded Beet, ignoring Doragastu's dark look as he tossed the bone fragments to the floor. Engie grinned. "HA! There, _that's_ a skill that'll get you far in life, Beet… how to win at _bones_!"

Beet cocked his head at that. "But Engie… his fighting style's all _about_ figuring out your opponent. I'll bet you could do it, too, if you tried. Then you wouldn't have to figure out what he's saying," he said, shrugging.

Engie rolled his eyes. "I got my own style, cub. Besides, I haven't seen you in action, yet," he said, smirking.

Doragastu nudged Beet with his foot. At Beet's glance, he said, "Mirror him."

Beet hid a smirk, then turned to Engie, who was looking confused. So did Beet. Engie frowned, and the cub frowned. Engie scowled. "Don't you dare try to copy-cat me, cub!" they both yelled at each other.

Growling, they each reached back and went to smack each other upside the head, but their hands collided in the middle. They growled, and soon the fight commenced, the bone fragments long forgotten, as the two Saiyans fought, each fist meeting the other, each kick blocked with the same kick. Doragastu watched as they fought this way for half an hour, then said, "Beet… next step!"

Suddenly, Engie found himself getting hit in the face, before he could even bring his fist up to hit Beet. He brought his knee up to kick him in the side, but he was already being kicked there himself. Every attack he tried to make, Beet made the attack on him before he had the chance. When Engie was no longer able to block him, Doragastu said, "Stop." Suddenly, Beet stopped, stepping back, shaking his head as if to clear it.

Engie staggered, looking like he'd just been stomped by a giant. "What… the hell… was _that?!_ " he asked.

Beet smirked. "It's Doragastu's mirroring technique. You get into your opponent's head, and then you know just what he's gonna do, and when he's gonna do it. You make your body do what they're gonna do. Then, it's just a matter of doin' it _faster_ ," he said.

Engie shook his head. "Damn… that's some technique…" he said, chuckling to himself as he sat down, wary of his aching muscles.

Doragastu frowned. "It has a flaw. It supposes sanity, that many enemies do not possess," he said softly, passing the bone fragments to Beet.

Beet took them, frowning. "So… if my opponent's crazy, it'll make me crazy?" he asked.

"Or at least, if your opponent decides to shove himself out an airlock, you'll go with him," Engie supplied helpfully, earning a surprised nod from Doragastu. "And the moon-wrong's right about one thing… half the assholes you meet out here are crazy as fuck," he said, shaking his head.

Beet couldn't argue that point, after some of the beings they'd encountered. Suddenly, he yawned, and tossed the bones in his hand.

Engie and Doragastu shared a glance, and Engie caught the bones before they hit the floor plating. "I'm quittin' while I'm ahead, boss," he said, just as Doragastu stretched, yawning. "That beatin' you gave me is gonna take some time to sleep off," he said, taking a swig of Baga's 'good stuff'.

Beet scowled. "Just 'cause I'm tired don't mean you guys have to pretend to be," he said, irritated.

Doragastu got up and grabbed the thick furs they kept in the corner, spreading them out in a pile in the middle of the floor. "Sleep keeps the monsters at bay," he said matter-of-factly.

"Who's pretending?" Engie grunted, pulling off the chest piece of his armor, and flopping down on the pile of furs. "You keep us on schedule, cub. Ain't nothin' wrong with that," he said, turning so that he faced the console, in case the auto-pilot beeped alerting that something had come close to the ship.

Doragastu pulled his armor off as well, and laid down on the other side of the furs, his back to Engie, a space between them for Beet.

Sighing, Beet pulled off his armor, and curled up between the two men, and suddenly the friction and posturing disappeared, and they were just a group of Saiyans, sleeping it off.

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The Ox Kingdom was abuzz with excitement, as Maca followed Baga through the busy streets. "What's a tournament?" she asked, confused, as she narrowly dodged getting hit by a horse-drawn cart full of bags of something Maca's nose couldn't identify. Maca was still getting used to being around other people. She couldn't remember ever being away from her sister Ruta this long, but her sister was currently spending time as a giant ape creature inside a small glass dome, under high gravity, with Uncle Turles. Part of his therapy for her to get back to her old self, he said. Maca was jealous; she really wanted to see what it was like to be a big ape creature.

"It's where everyone fights each other to see who's the strongest," Baga said, almost giddy with excitement. In light of the increase in their numbers, King Vegeta had agreed to host a tournament in one week, to which anyone on the planet could join. Word had spread like wildfire, and everyone had started training for it, Saiyan and Human alike. What had been meant as a method of testing the skills of the hybrids had turned into something so much bigger.

Maca blinked at that. "Why?" she asked, causing Baga to spin around and stare at her, wide-eyed. "What?" she asked, surprised at his reaction.

It was Baga's turn to blink. "You know, it's questions like that that make people wonder if you're really a Saiyan," he said wryly. At her look, he sighed. "Maca, because fighting is _fun!_ It's fun to see who's the strongest, it's fun to try to _be_ the strongest, to be better than everyone, or at least to be the best you possibly _can_! Don't you wanna get stronger?" he asked.

Maca shrugged. "If it keeps me alive," she said evenly.

Baga sighed. "Just don't let Saru hear you talkin' like that, he'll stomp you into the ground," he said, shaking his head as he turned around to continue their trek.

"Where are we going, anyway?" Maca asked, changing the subject.

Baga shot her a side-ways glance. "Well, _I'm_ going to get supplies for the meal today. You don't have to follow me, you know… you're supposed to be training with the girls," he said.

Maca frowned. "What's the point? It's not like training will make me any stronger… Uncle Turles said I only get stronger if I eat stronger opponents," she said, and Baga spun around, clapping a hand over her mouth.

"Shhh! You're not supposed to talk about that out here," he whispered, glancing around. "You'll spook the humans!"

Maca glared, and he removed his hand. "Sorry. It's just, I already know how to fight, and if training doesn't increase my strength or my speed, then there's no point in going through pointless exercises or getting the crap beat out of me over and over," she said, rolling her eyes. "Why don't _you_ have to train?"

Baga cast her a look. "I train. I just do it in the evenings, that's all. I switch off with Matou, that way he can train in the mornings," he said, and shrugged. "If you're bored, Maca, you can always go help out with the little cubs," he suggested, shifting uncomfortably.

Maca's nose wrinkled at that. "Are you kidding? No one wants me around their cubs…" she said, frowning. "'Specially not _Kakarot_ ," she said darkly.

Baga sighed. "Kaka's strong, Maca, one of the strongest, but he's soft when it comes to humans. They're like family to him," he said, laying a hand on Maca's shoulder.

"More than _I_ am, anyway," Maca said matter-of-factly, eyebrow raised. "It's not like I care… so he doesn't like me, big deal. He's probably right to not like me… I'm a big scary monster, who _knows_ what I might do?" she said, scowling.

Baga rolled his eyes, inwardly cursing his brother. "He's scared, Maca, that's all there is to it. So, either be scared, like him, and avoid him and his cub, or get in his way, and force him to face up to it," he said with a sigh.

Maca blinked at that, then shrugged. "Fine. But don't think I don't know why you want me out of your hair so badly," she said, looking past him to the booth up ahead. She smirked at the light blush that tinted his cheeks.

Baga scowled. "Whatever you're thinking, it isn't. Now go bug someone else!" he said, smacking her with his tail before turning and walking away.

Maca rubbed her arm where he had smacked her, and smirked. She always felt comfortable around Baga, for some reason, probably because he treated her the same as he treated Ruta. Raditz was starting to warm up to her, though she could tell he didn't really know what to do with her half the time. _Kakarot_ , on the other hand…

Maca sighed, and turned around, taking to the air. Baga was right… she was going to force Kakarot to deal with her, one way or another. She wasn't going to go away just because _he_ had a problem with her…

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Out in the middle of nowhere, in a deep cavern in the mountains, a little girl with black wavy hair pulled up in pigtails sat hunched over the screen of a homemade scanner, surrounded by broken and cobbled together bits of technology she had scavenged from the collapsed military base she had found. Her green eyes fought to stay open, her clothing was torn, and her face and hands were smeared with dirt and engine grease. Still, she was grinning excitedly, for the first time in a very long time.

Saki was proud of the cavern she had claimed for her own. It wasn't perfect, but at least there were no dead bodies here, and if the authorities were still looking for her, they hadn't bothered to search here. Plus, she'd found a treasure trove, a ten-year supply of field rations. Her favorites were the chocolate chip granola bars, which she ate pretty much to the exclusion of anything else.

The needle on her scanner began to rise again, and her smile widened. "That's it… I knew it! I knew I wasn't crazy!" she said, and she picked up her new favorite toy, a gun that could fire a laser powerful enough to make perfectly drilled holes in whatever she aimed it at. She was pretty sure it wasn't meant to be a weapon, but damn, it sure made a pretty hole in that mountain lion that had crept into her cavern last week. And, if whatever her scanner said was coming wasn't something friendly, it was getting a pretty hold drilled into it, too.

The needle jumped up to maximum, and the air began to pick up, swirling around her. Saki's eyes widened, and she raised her weapon, taking aim at the whirlwind that was building up in the cavern. Whatever it was-

It was a machine. It popped into the room as though it had always been there, and Saki's finger hovered over the trigger of the drill gun. The top was a clear bubble, and she could see two figures inside it. People.

She faltered. She had killed people before, without meaning to, thinking they were aliens. These… these were probably aliens, but… what if…? Saki swallowed, her stomach turning as the clear bubble lifted up, and the two climbed out of the machine.

"Not another move, or I shoot!" Saki warned, scowling. She didn't want to kill people, but she would survive, no matter what. One of them was a little boy, close to her age, with light purple hair, he seemed human enough, but the other one… he was tall, with dark red and black armor, and a helmet with horns on it that covered his face. He could be an alien. She trained her gun on him. "I mean it!" she said, ready to pull the trigger.

"Saki?!" the little boy asked incredulously. It was enough to distract her, in one instant her eyes shifted to him, in the next the drill gun was in the tall alien's hands instead of hers. She gasped, stepping back, cursing herself for not shooting first and asking questions later.

"It's ok, Saki, we're friends," the tall alien said, his gentle voice a strange contradiction to his height and frame.

Saki scowled. "I don't make friends with aliens! I kill them!" she yelled, knowing she had to escape somehow, but also knowing this guy was way too fast for her, from how quickly he took her gun.

"You're right, Saki. You kill aliens," the boy with lavender hair said, scowling. "You always will. And you help other people kill aliens, too. But not _us_ ," he said, and crossed his arms, fixing her with a hard stare. "Ox King, maybe you should take off your helmet," he said, never taking his eyes off of her.

The tall warrior put down the drill gun carefully, then with both hands, removed his helmet.

Human. His face was scarred, his dark eyes intense, but he was human, no doubt about it.

Saki sighed, swallowing hard. She had almost…. then she stood up, scowling at them. "Well, what's a girl supposed to think, when you pop into her cavern unannounced like that?!" she demanded angrily. She looked at the machine. "How the hell did you do that, anyway?" she asked, frowning.

The boy with lavender hair smirked. "Oh, yeah, she's Saki alright," he said, shaking his head ruefully. Saki turned to look at him curiously, now that she had a moment to study him. Sure, he was her age, but… he didn't act like it. He didn't stand like it. And he was wearing armor, with a weird symbol on it, and a blue cape. And around his waist was a…

Saki's eyes widened, and she looked back at the other one. No, no tail there. She turned back to the boy. "You're one of them… the Saiyans they talk about on the radio," she said, scowling.

The boy returned her scowl. "What of it?" he demanded, watching her carefully.

"They say you brought the aliens here. That you put us all in danger. That you're gonna try to take over the world," she said. Her eyes were on the boy, so she didn't see the tall warrior, the one the boy had called 'Ox King', tense up, his eyes growing hard.

The boy, for his part, never broke her gaze. "And what do you think?" he asked simply, not moving, but he seemed to be always ready to.

Saki glanced down at his tail again, and looked away. "I… I saw them. The aliens. What they did to those ladies, the ones with the red sleeves, who were trying to fight them," she said, swallowing hard. "One of 'em was even pregnant, but she wasn't afraid, and she fought really hard. But… the aliens were stronger," she said, her voice almost a whisper. "Then, people came, to rescue them, and… and they had tails. Like yours," she said, her eyes meeting the boy's. Her gaze was fierce, and he could tell she was holding back tears. "They bashed those filthy aliens' skulls in like they were nothing. Almost all of them, the ladies with the red sleeves, survived…" she said, her eyes hard. She crossed her arms. "I ain't stupid. Those ladies were humans, and they were trying to save people, and fight the bad guys, and the Saiyans helped them. So I know the Saiyans are on our side," she said. "I wanna fight the aliens, for what they did to my family, and my city, and to those ladies. So if you know how I can do that, then just tell me, and I'll do it," she said.

The boy with the lavender hair smirked, and reached into his armor. He pulled out a small black leather book, and handed it to her. She opened it up to find strange writing and math equations inside. "Those notes belonged to a great scientist, the greatest inventor on the planet. One day, you're going to have that book memorized, and you'll be an inventor, like she was," he said. His eyes turned hard. "I need you to be that sooner. I need you to start studying that, right away, until you understand it. The fate of the Earth depends on it," he said.

Saki looked down at the figures, then back up at the boy. "You guys are time travelers, aren't you?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"How did you know?" the man with the scarred face asked, frowning. Saki had almost forgotten he was there, he was so quiet.

Saki blinked. "'Cause I watch TV, dork," she said, shaking her head, and looked down at the book. "This is gonna take me a while, make yourselves at home if you want, don't eat my granola bars," she said absently as she walked back over to where she had set up a chair next to a lamp.

The two time travelers watched her completely ignore them in light of the book she was meant to study. The man looked down at the boy. "Saki's a crazy old lady in our time, Sire. Sure this'll work?" he asked gruffly.

The lavender haired boy cast him a glance. "It has to. We need all the help we can get," he said grimly. He glanced outside the cavern. "Speaking of which, isn't it time to save Kakarot?" he asked.

The Ox King scowled, setting his jaw. "If I _have_ to," he said, his voice equally grim.

The young boy gave him a sympathetic glance. "It'll be different this time, Ox. And, hell, if it's not, you'll get a chance to kill him yourself," he said with a smirk.

"Hn," the Ox King grunted at that, though he had the ghost of a smirk on his scarred face.

"Just try to get his help, first. We'll need him when we face Dodoria," the lavender-haired boy said, scowling darkly.

"Yes, Sire," the Ox King replied, inclining his head. With that, he strode out of the cavern, not bothering to check his surroundings, as though he'd done it a thousand times. Once clear of the mountain, he flew into the air and out of sight.

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Baga sidled up to Maggie's booth, gazing longingly at all the sweets laid out on the counter. Baga had tried half of them, but there were so many others to try, and she was always coming out with more. The dark-skinned woman smiled down at him warmly. "Come to try something new, Baga?" she asked. "I'm planning to sell a big batch of some of these at the Tournament next week, think they'll sell?" she asked, pointing to a tray of tiny balls covered in white powder.

Baga raised an eyebrow at that. "Depends, you sellin' 'em to the audience, or to fighters?" he asked, cocking his head at the things. He'd tried them once before, they weren't his favorite, but they were pretty tasty.

"Fighters? I can't imagine they'd want to eat anything before a big fight," Maggie said, just as a young girl close to Baga's age came out from the back of the booth, bearing a large tray of the chocolate squares Baga loved so much.

Baga was unable to keep the smile off his face. "I don't know about the humans fighting, but Saiyans are always hungry… _especially_ before a big fight," he said, earning a smile from Maggie's daughter Heaven. The girl was dark-skinned like her mother, and her dark curly hair always smelled like cinnamon every time she walked past him. He pointed to the tray. "Can I get _all_ of those?" he asked, looking into the girl's blue-gray eyes.

Heaven smiled softly. "Whatever you want, Baga," she said, her eyes twinkling, and began to place all of the fudge pieces into a box for him, softly humming as she did.

Maggie glanced at the two, and shook her head slightly, hiding a knowing smile. She knew there would be no talking to Baga now, and if her daughter were this keen on flirting with the Saiyan boy, she wouldn't stand in the way of it. Once she had the fudge boxed up, Heaven handed it to Baga, smiling warmly. "Come find me when you want some more," she said, as Baga laid the zenni on the table, not even bothering to count it.

Baga smiled, taking the box of intoxicating treats. "I always know where you are, Heaven," he said, smirking, his eyes on the box. The girl's smile grew, and he glanced up at her. "Are you coming to the Tournament?" he asked.

"Depends. Are you fighting?" she asked, ignoring her mother's light chuckle.

Baga smirked. "Are you kidding? Of course I am! Are you?" he asked, thinking he knew the answer to that.

Surprising him, Heaven smirked back. "Of course I am," she said, laughing when his eyes went wide.

"You know how to fight? You know there's gonna be a lot of strong fighters there," he said, cocking his head at her. He'd never entertained the idea that she might actually want to join the Tournament. It made him feel… _odd_.

Heaven leaned forward slightly. "Are you afraid I'll beat you in the Tournament," she asked softly.

Baga's eyes lit up, and his smirk grew. "Not a chance!" he said, holding the box tightly. "Can't wait to see you in action! See ya later!" he said, and ran off, even more giddy than he was before.

Maggie shook her head. "You've got that boy wrapped around your finger. I hope you're not doing that to him just so he'll keep paying extra for the sweets," she said as she picked up the zenni Baga had left on the counter.

Heaven was still watching Baga disappear through the crowd. "He's cute, and strong, and can cook, Mama," she said, smiling.

Her mother raised an eyebrow at that. "He's also too young to be thinking about girls that way. I hope that's not your only reason for entering this Tournament. Your father was a great fighter, child, but he was also _human_. You're going to get hurt. And even if you _do_ manage to hold your own and beat him, then he isn't going to like you _that way_ , anymore… boys don't like it when girls are stronger than they are," she said, concerned.

Heaven frowned. " _Human_ boys don't like it… but _Saiyan_ boys are different," she said, crossing her arms. "And I'll be fine. Papa trained me well, and I've been practicing. This Tournament is the best way I can prove that I'm good enough to join the Earth Defense Squad," she said, her eyes lighting up.

Maggie sighed, stroking her daughter's face. "As long as it's not just so you can win the heart of a boy who's too young to even notice you," she said wryly.

Heaven gave her mother a sly look. Maggie shook her head in exasperation and got back to work.

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In the woods just outside the Ox Kingdom, a group of women humans and saiyans alike, sat and chatted while small cubs played and wrestled with each other around their feet. Maca was tickling Gohan's nose with a bright yellow flower she found, eliciting laughter from the tiny cub, when she heard a low growl from behind her. Steeling herself, she stood, backing away slightly, and crossed her arms, glaring at her older brother. "Problem?" she asked, her eyes practically daring him to say something.

Kakarot scowled at her, scooping up his son from the grass. "What are you doing here, you should be training," he said, his eyes hard.

Maca shrugged. "Not really my thing. Figured I'd help out here," she said, eyebrow raised. "And spend time with my nephew, Gohan," she said, watching him closely.

Kakarot's jaw clenched, and he narrowed his eyes. "If you have a problem with me, little girl, you come to _me._ Leave Gohan out of this," he said, his voice dangerously low. The chatting stopped, and all eyes were on Kakarot; even most of the cubs stopped what they were doing, sensing the change in the air.

Maca narrowed her eyes at back at him. " _You're_ the one with the problem, Kakarot. I just wanna know what it is," she insisted.

Kakarot's eyes bore into hers for a long moment, before he spoke. "You murdered people, Maca. _Innocent_ people," he said.

Maca blinked. "What do you want? Want me to say sorry? 'Cause I'm not. I survived. It's what I do. Ruta won't apologize for it, and neither will I," she said, frowning.

Kakarot took a step towards her, glaring menacingly. "I agreed to let Raditz handle you. You're _his_ problem. But if I find you around my son again-"

"We sleep in the _same bed_ , Kakarot!" Maca yelled, stomping her foot, her fists clenched. "What are you gonna do, banish me from my _family_? I know you _wanted_ to, Ruta told me!" she accused.

"Trust has to be _earned_ , Maca. And you haven't earned my trust yet," Kakarot growled, holding Gohan close. "Stay away from Gohan," he warned her, and turned and walked away.

Maca felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up at Launch, her blonde hair tied back, green eyes scowling at Kakarot as he walked away. "Give him some time, kid," she said, with a sigh. "He'll get the stick out of his ass one of these days."

Maca glanced up at Launch, curiously. "How come you're not scared of me, Launch?" she asked her sister-in-law. "You're human. I woulda thought you'd be the most scared of me," she said.

Launch smirked down at her. "Look, you don't eat my cubs, and we're good, you and me. If I were the type to scare that easy, I wouldn't be married to a Saiyan," she said with a shrug.

Maca smirked at that. "You're not scared of me, 'cause you're crazy?" she asked.

Launch rolled her eyes. "Take what you can get, kid."

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A tall man wearing red and black armor, with a horned helmet covering most of his face, walked through the streets of the Ox Kingdom, gazing around. Things were so… _different_ , from what he remembered. So much excitement, and fun, and _hope_ in the air. Smells of cooking food and sounds of children playing, and the bright colors…

Such a far cry from what he remembered.

He gazed around at his people, at the booths and carts and people. It was the week before the big Tournament that changed everything. This was what his kingdom had been like, before the Saiyans had left.

Before he had taken over the earth.

Before _Dodoria_.

The Ox King strode down the street, with new purpose. If he had to save Kakarot's life to preserve this, then so be it. He would give anything so that his people could have _this_ again.

"Care for some sweets for the road, sir? Only a hundred zenni a piece," a small voice called out, breaking him from his concentration. The Ox King looked down at the young girl in a yellow dress, holding a tray of little white balls. His breath caught as he recognized her.

"I don't have any zenni on me," he said. Belatedly, he realized it was poor planning on his part, but they had had greater concerns when they came back to this time. "I suppose I'll have to earn some," he murmured aloud.

The little girl smiled up at him, and handed him one of the balls. "Try this, and tell people where you got it. That'll earn it for you," she said kindly, and the Ox King was struck by how sweet and gentle she had been, before her family died and she became the hardened warrior he knew. He managed a small smile.

"I will, thank you, Heaven," he said, taking the small white ball, and walked on, not noticing how the girl stared after him.

 _How did he know my name?_ she wondered, watching the strange warrior go.

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Bulma gazed out at the arena, watching people fight each other, the usual training schedule thrown to the wayside, in light of her husband's proclamation yesterday. One week wasn't a whole lot of time to train for a tournament, but Saiyans were always ready to fight, so Vegeta didn't really see a problem with the short notice. Humans and Saiyans alike filled the arena, training themselves for the big day.

Bulma sighed. "Pretty wild out there, huh?" a voice said from behind her, and she glanced over to see Tanmen, stretching as she walked into the room.

Bulma shook her head. "I don't know how Saiyans go about organizing tournaments, but I don't think Vegeta knows what he's getting himself into. There needs to be planning, preliminary matches, stuff like that. You can't just invite everyone to fight in a tournament, and not have a way to eliminate the weaker ones quickly, or the audience will get bored. He doesn't even have anyone officiating it. It's like he just thought it would be a good idea, and expects it to all be planned out _for_ him," Bulma said, rolling her eyes.

Tanmen smirked at her friend. She was often on the receiving end of Bulma's rants about Vegeta, mostly because Bulma trusted Tanmen not to say anything to anyone about it. Also, because she was Bulma's sparring partner, and ranting was as much a part of Bulma's sparring as thinking up new ideas was. "Maybe that's what he needs you for," Tanmen suggested, raising an eyebrow.

Bulma gave her a look like she was crazy. "Are you kidding? I'm a woman of science, not a… a _tournament announcer_! He needs someone who will step in and officiate, without having to be asked to. Someone who's been to these things, who knows what the rules should be, who can keep people from killing each other in the arena! He needs a _system_ , and someone to implement it. But it won't be him… he's too busy training so he can beat Kakarot in the Tournament. I swear, I think that's the only reason he really started this mess in the first place. I mean, it's not as if they don't train together every day, _anyway_ ," she grumbled, stretching as she got into position. She didn't train with the other women of the EDS, as she often didn't have time, but she liked to keep her skills sharp, and the truth was, fighting really _did_ help her come up with new ideas. She did her best work under pressure.

Tanmen began with a basic kick, that Bulma blocked easily, and followed with a series of punches, each one becoming sharper and stronger than the last, as her muscles warmed up. "Maybe you can just come up with the system, give it to someone else, and tell them to make it happen," she said, focusing on her attack pattern. Bulma was on the defensive now, but Tanmen knew that would soon change.

Bulma frowned at that, blocking her attacks, then biting her lip. "I guess I could do that. But _why_?" she asked, punching Tanmen in the stomach and elbowing her across the face as she thought. She continued to attack, but her attacks were being blocked now, as Tanmen upped her game, getting in some of her own attacks. "This is Vegeta's mess. If I clean up after him every time he pulls some shit like this, he'll never learn to stop doing it," she said, driving a knee towards Tamen's midsection, only to have it blocked.

"You do understand what a relationship is, right?" Tanmen asked, dodging yet another attack and swinging her leg to knock Bulma off her feet. "It's cleaning up each other's messes. Push and pull, yin and _yang!_ " she said, her foot being caught in mid-air as she had tried to kick Bulma in the head after she had flipped up onto her feet again. A few punches to the stomach had Tanmen wrestling out of Bulma's grip, backing up to regroup.

"Please, _you_ haven't even asked Prince Tarble out yet!" Bulma accused, causing Tanmen to falter in her next attack, and allowing Bulma to throw her to the floor. "You can't really lecture me on relationships until you're actually _in one_ ," she said, rolling her eyes as Tanmen got back to her feet.

Tanmen's cheeks were red, from more than just fighting. "He… I… it's _different,_ " she said, blocking Bulma's attacks.

Bulma paused, giving her a look. "You're _shy!_ " she said suddenly, as Tanmen's face went even more crimson. "Oh, my gosh… Tanmen, you do realize, this whole time, he's been hoping you'd express some kind of interest in him…" she said.

Tanmen looked down, abashed. "I know… I just… I _can't_ , Bulma. It's just… it's not in me to ask a boy out. I guess I'm not cut out for a relationship with a Saiyan… he deserves someone who's stronger than me, anyway," she said, holding her arms close to her body.

Bulma giggled, and shook her head, laying a comforting hand on Tanmen's arm. "Tanmen… I'm married to the _Saiyan King_. If anyone should be scared she's not cut out for it, it's _me_ ," she said, rolling her eyes. "Tarble is _sweet_. Believe me, he's got to be the _easiest_ Saiyan to try a relationship with. Just talk to him. I know for a fact that he likes you," she said, smiling knowingly.

Tanmen's blush deepened. "I… I'll try," she said, practically squirming with discomfort. Bulma laughed.

"That's the spirit. Come on, you should do it now, before you lose your nerve," she said, practically shoving her out the door.

"But… our spar!" Tanmen protested, but Bulma shook her head.

"We're done for the day, this is more important!" she said, and pushed her out the door, closing it behind her. Bulma smiled at the closed door, smiling at the thought of her best friend's budding romance with her husband's little brother.

Then her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she collapsed to the floor.

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Reaper stood against the wall of the arena, watching Korn fight with another Saiyan. He narrowed his eyes, regarding the man who fathered him and his unit, albeit unwittingly. He wondered what life would have been like, had the man _actually_ fathered him.

"That's him, huh?" a small voice said from his side, and he glanced down at the girl with the brown pigtails for a moment, before turning back to watch Korn.

"He's nothing to us, 42," he grunted, frowning.

The girl rolled her eyes. "It's Olive, now," she said, earning another glance from Reaper. "Saru helped us pick out Saiyan names for ourselves. I picked Olive," she said, shrugging as she looked at the two men Reaper had been studying. "If he means nothing to us, then why are you so focused on him?" she asked.

"Know your enemy," he replied with a shrug. "I'm watching all the fighters, to gain a better idea of what to expect in the Tournament next week," he said.

Olive smirked at that. "Especially what to expect from Korn?" she asked knowingly. Reaper tensed. "You wanna beat him, don't you? To prove you're better?" she asked.

Reaper swallowed, then glanced back at her. "You're annoying," he said gruffly.

"Only when I'm right," she said, smirking. "Which is most of the time. You could go fight him right now, you know," she said, eyebrow raised. "Saiyans never back down from challenges, Saru said so. He'd _have_ to fight you."

Reaper shook his head. "I'll fight him in the tournament," he said, and looked her over. "Have you been training?" he asked.

Olive got into a fighting stance, one which was mirrored by him. Her attack came suddenly, but was blocked quickly. She got a few good hits in, but it ended seconds later, with Reaper's foot on her throat. "Beg for mercy," he said automatically, eyes cold.

"Saiyans don't beg," a woman's voice said from behind him. Reaper looked up in surprise at a Saiyan woman with long white hair, with a red sleeve on her arm. He'd come to know that the red sleeves meant they were Earth Defense Squad, and that all the Saiyan females had them, at least the ones that were old enough. The woman was scowling, but her scowl wasn't directed at him; it was directed at Olive. Reaper didn't move his foot.

The girl's voice was raspy with the pressure of Reaper's foot on her throat. "How…do I get out… then?" she managed, struggling to free herself.

Meron raised an eyebrow, and crossed her arms. "Find a way. Any other way, but _that_ ," she said distastefully. "A Saiyan always keeps her pride… even if it costs her her _life_ ," she said, her eyes hard, her voice insistent. Olive could tell she spoke from experience.

Olive turned her eyes to Reaper, and glared. He, for his part, didn't move his foot at all, interested in what she would do. He could sense her build-up in energy, and his eyes widened as the air around them began to vibrate. He braced himself, expecting an energy attack. What happened was that a cloud of dirt exploded around them, and he was thrown back. When the dust settled, there was a crater where Olive had been lying, and Olive was pulling herself out of it.

Around them, people were coming to see what had happened. A tall woman with purple eyes was grinning, and a shorter girl with caramel-tinted hair in the shape of a lion's mane crossed her arms, shaking her head derisively. "Shit, Raditz is gonna kill you for messin' up his arena," the shorter girl said with a chuckle.

Olive dusted herself off, scowling, and cast a look at Reaper first, then at Meron. Smirking, she turned back to Zuri. "Yeah…. but at least I'll have my pride," she said, and Meron smirked behind her, giving a nod.

Not far away, a man wearing red and black armor watched the scene, entranced. Suddenly, movement in his periphery turned his attention as his target came into view. Kakarot walked into the arena, holding a squirming, crying cub. The Saiyan was looking around, and absently handing the cub off to a young girl who happened to be nearby, he made his way to the side of the arena that served as King Vegeta's castle.

The tall warrior narrowed his eyes at the man, but turned to look instead at the cub he'd left in the arms of the girl. She was a Saiyan, with short spiky hair, and the warrior instantly recognized her. He smirked, and made his way to her, knowing if there were any answers to be had, any clues that would allow him to better understand his enemy, they were held by that girl.

Maca looked down at the cub in her arms, her eyes wide. Gohan was crying, forcing her to put aside her shock for the moment, to soothe the cub. "Shh…shh… stop crying, Gohan, you're ok," she said, blinking.

"What's wrong with him?" a voice said from behind her, and she turned to see a tall warrior she didn't recognize, wearing black and red armor. She held the little cub close.

"Probably just hungry or something," Maca said, knowing she had yet to meet every Saiyan, but still a little freaked out by what just happened. She glared in the direction Kakarot had disappeared. "First he tells me to stay the hell away from his cub, then he just hands him to me?" she asked, shaking her head. The cub's cries became more insistent, and she scowled down at him. " _Gohan,_ that's-," She paused at the cub's frantic screaming. "You're never like this, what's wrong?" she asked, frowning. The tall warrior watched in fascination, as she closed her eyes, and pressed her forehead up against the cub's.

Seconds later, she pulled away, and handed the cub to the tall warrior. "Take Gohan to Launch. There's something I gotta do," she said, and without another word, she disappeared.

The tall warrior blinked down at the cub in his hands, who had stopped crying, staring up at him with his big dark eyes. The warrior swallowed. "So… Launch, huh?" he asked the cub. "Don't suppose you know which one's Launch?"

 **A/N: Ok, readers, what do you think so far? Looks like this will probably end up being three parts total, but maybe I can do it in two. Are you confused? Great! Not so much? Darn it, I was hoping to be all mysterious…. stay tuned for next time, on Dragonball ASF! ;)**


	11. The Tournament, Part 2

**A/N: Okay, readers, I've got the next chapter up. A few things. First of all, this chapter was originally much longer than it is here, but I had to cut some things (quite a few things, actually) that distracted from the story. Also, I've been working on the next chapter at the same time, which necessitated certain changes in this chapter, depending on which direction I went with it. So, I haven't given up on this story, I just keep writing, then re-writing certain parts, because I want to get them just right. The next chapter should be up soon, I hope this weekend, but if not, then next weekend. These chapters around the Tournament will be a bit slow-going… orchestrating a Tournament isn't as easy as it sounds! I've even had to dust off my Excel skills to create the line-up! Like DBZ, this Tournament may take me a while to write… so please be patient with me.**

 **On that note, you all know by now that I suck at fight scenes, and rely on the assistance of my dear readers to make them worth reading. There will be a LOT of fight scenes in this Tournament. So, anyone who's interested in writing a fight scene, please PM me. I'll give you a pair of fighters to write about, and if the fight scene's done by the time that pair is supposed to fight, that fight scene will replace my lame-ass one where the focus is more on the spectators than the actual fighting. Sound good?**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

Light filtered through the leaves as Maca made her way through the woods. It was nice out here, much prettier than the trees had been in the snow globe. But, it was dark in there most of the time, so maybe that was why. Or maybe it was having fresh air. She calculated eleven possible reasons she was finding this enjoyable, before she realized she was doing it.

She sighed. She missed Ruta. Ruta always kept her mind busy, was always teaching her new things, quizzing her on what she'd learned. Ever since Ruta had gone into that globe with Uncle Turles for her _Oozaru therapy session_ , everything seemed so slow for Maca. So _boring_.

Maca adjusted her uncomfortable armor. She was tempted to just strip the stuff off right there, but Launch had paid for it for her, and told her to try not to break it, which Maca assumed also meant not to lose it, either. At least she'd been able to keep her tattered army jacket over it. The guy who'd worn it had been a family man, and it had pictures in the pocket that made her feel warm and doting. Like the way Ruta felt about their family, only less intense, and without as much anger and fierce loyalty mixed in. Human feelings were calmer than Saiyan feelings, it seemed. They made more sense, at least.

Maca liked it when things made sense.

Which was why she hated how weird Kakarot was being. She didn't like that he mistrusted her around Gohan. She didn't like when he just handed Gohan over to her either, trusting her for no good reason. She didn't like things not to make sense. Everything had an explanation, and she was going to find it.

For instance, why had Kakarot so viciously beaten that human? Gohan's mind had been a blur of emotion, but those events were branded indelibly into his mind, to the point where Maca had had to calm him down with her own mind, lest he cry himself into a seizure. His trust in his own father had been shattered by that single event. To watch his father beat someone nearly to death right in front of him, with no apparent cause or provocation, even Maca could see how that might be traumatic. And, technically, she wasn't that much older than Gohan, height and stolen life experiences aside. Which meant it must have been _really_ messed up.

Which was why she was here, walking around in the woods, looking for landmarks Gohan remembered, trying to find the-

The scent of blood captured her attention, and she turned her head sharply left. The empty part of her ached for more fuel, but she ignored it in favor of finding answers. Deftly, she ran towards the scent, not making a sound, the predator inside of her enjoying the prospect of a hunt, even if what she was hunting was probably already dead.

 _There._ Lying in the grass and fallen leaves, there was the human from Gohan's memory, bleeding into the ground. He wore white and brown clothes, stained red with blood, and blood was matted into the mass of curly black hair on his head. Maca frowned… he was _still_ bleeding, which meant he wasn't dead. _Yet_. Curiously, she bent down and rolled him over onto his back.

His face was almost unrecognizable as human. She had never seen a human this badly beaten before. She frowned. "That looks painful," she mused, watching as his chest rose and fell ever so slightly. "You're not gonna stay alive if you keep bleeding like that, you know," she said conversationally as she slowly lifted one of the man's eyelids. "What did you do to make Kakarot beat you like this? Did you try to kill King Vegeta or something?" she asked.

Only shallow breathing answered her.

Maca sighed. "I guess I could eat you. Kakarot doesn't care if you die, so he wouldn't be mad. And, when I eat people, if I pay attention, I can keep their thoughts and stuff, too. Then I'll know exactly what you did," she said, biting her lip in anticipation. Then, she growled, scowling. "But it doesn't make sense! Kakarot wouldn't be the Royal Guard if he was this bad at killing people. Which means he wanted you to suffer. Which means he _would_ be mad if I killed you. And I don't want to end up like you, so that means I _shouldn't_ eat you…" she said. Then she cocked her head. "Unless I just don't tell him. I could hide your clothes afterward, maybe he'd think a dinosaur swallowed you up," she said, blinking. She sighed. "I can't. Gohan's memories are still too fresh on my mind. You still look like the poor defenseless man Papa beat the life out of to me," she said, and suddenly her head whipped around, and her skin tingled.

 _Standing ten feet away was a strange man wearing a large turtle shell on his back…_

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The Ox King watched his grandfather speaking with his advisors, a small smile on his face. He was currently wearing a well-worn blue tunic and black trousers, with the dusty brown cloak he had stolen when he first got here, from the fishmonger he had taken the place of for the purposes of the Tournament. His helmet was gone; only the hood of his cloak hid his heavily scarred face. In his own time, he always kept his face covered, because the scars spoke of weakness, when he wanted to portray strength. In this time period, he kept the habit, if only because scars made him more memorable and brought on questions. He knew better than to hide among the Saiyans; there weren't many of them, even with the influx of Hybrids, and they would know he wasn't one of them. Or worse… that he _was_ , and that they didn't recognize him. As he had explained to Prince Vegeta before they left, they couldn't out themselves as Saiyans here, without everyone knowing they weren't from this time; not when every person with Saiyan blood had been wished to this planet in front of King Vegeta's eyes. Which meant the Saiyan Prince had to stay completely out of sight. Only the Ox King's lack of a tail let him pass for human, and only if he weren't inspected too closely by his own kind.

"Excuse me, sir, if you could kindly move aside," a middle-aged man said, and the Ox King's eyes widened as he recognized the voice. However, not wishing to be exposed, he quickly did as he was asked, as one of his favorite advisors moved past him with a tray full of plates. Meril had always been a polite man, in the Ox King's experience; not the fake politeness that politicians often had, but the soft respect that came from a man who didn't think things like scrubbing pots was beneath him, even when so many looked up to him for leadership. The Ox King often thought, if he were a better man, he'd be more like Meril.

But now Meril was gone, too.

The future Ox King watched the current Ox King for a few more moments, before turning and walking away. After all… his quarry wouldn't sleep all day, and though the Ox King knew that history told of Kakarot attempting to assassinate King Vegeta during the Tournament, their appearance in the past may have changed things. After all… he had interacted with his aunt Maca yesterday, and she still hadn't returned. Who knew what her absence would cause? Even though she never left with the rest of the Saiyans, didn't mean she didn't do other things that were instrumental to history unfolding the way that it did. What if she had originally prevented Kakarot from assassinating King Vegeta before the Tournament? And now, she wasn't here to do so.

The Ox King had to be ready for anything. If Maca had taught him anything during their chance encounters, it had been that. What had she told him the last time they saw each other? That she wouldn't always be there to save his little ass?

A large pile of hides collided with him, and it was everything the Ox King could do not to blast them away. Holding in a growl, he turned to glare at whoever chose to attack him, and was surprised to find his attacker to be…

A short Saiyan cub.

"Watch where you're going!" the cub snapped, taking one look at his clothes and unclenching his fists, proof that, had the Ox King been dressed as a Saiyan, the cub would have attacked already. The Ox King unclenched his as well, and bent down to help him with the hides. Once they were neatly stacked, the cub looked him over and gave a wordless nod of thanks, then picked up the stack and began to walk away.

The Ox King breathed a sigh of relief. That had been close. He needed to avoid other Saiyans as much as possible until the Tournament. Once the Tournament was over and King Vegeta was safe, then-

"You look a bit old to be one of the hybrids," the cub's voice said from behind him, and the Ox King froze.

Feigning confusion, he turned to the cub, who it seemed had put down the hides again, and asked, "Uh, do you mean me? I'm a human, Sammy Black, I'm a fishmonger from the-"

"I know Sammy Black. He's a cheat and a liar, and better at it than you are. You smell Saiyan. Last chance, or I tell the King we have an intruder," the cub said, narrowing his eyes.

The Ox King cursed himself. He had chosen Sammy Black, because the man had cheated in the Tournament, and would have become disqualified anyway; Prince Vegeta had suggested he fight in the Tournament as one of the contenders, to get him closer to Kakarot, and taking Black's place had seemed like it would make the least impact on history.

He had never thought the Saiyans would know the humans of the Ox Kingdom as well as this cub seemed to.

When the cub took a deep breath like he was going to yell out, the Ox King put up his hands. "Okay, okay… you got me. I'm… I'm a hybrid," he said, trying to come up with a good reason why a hybrid would be pretending to be a human.

The cub's eyes were still narrowed. "Show me your face," he demanded, fists clenched again.

The Ox King's stomach sank. With a sigh, he reluctantly reached up, and pulled down his hood.

The cub's eyes went wide. " _Kaka_?" he breathed, sniffing him. Then, they went even wider. "G-gohan?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

The Ox King looked him over closely. "You're Baga, aren't you?" he asked, beginning to realize where he'd gone wrong.

Baga glanced around quickly, then hissed at him, "Put your hood back on, and follow me." Then, he picked up the hides he had been carrying, and began to walk away.

The Ox King sighed, pulling his hood back up. Beet had often told him stories of Baga, he should have known he wouldn't be able to hide anything from him. The cub led him to a spot behind the mess hall, and dropped the stack of hides on the ground, turning to glare at him. "Okay. Tell me what the hell's going on," he said, crossing his arms. "Are you really Gohan?"

The Ox King looked away, his hood still hiding his face. "Nobody calls me that. Everyone just calls me Ox King," he said darkly, scowling.

Baga cocked his head at that. "Ox King? _Why_?" he asked curiously.

The Ox King didn't respond for a long time. Finally, he said, "My father stripped us of our pride when he tried to assassinate King Vegeta. I don't claim him, so I don't claim the name he gave me," he said, turning his dark glare back to Baga. "My grandfather, the Ox King, _he_ is my family, the only family I have left. I'm proud to be _his_ heir, to take _his_ place. So that's the only name I'll answer to," he said, fists clenched.

Baga blinked. "Ok… now I _know_ you're full of shit," the boy said, crossing his arms at the Ox King's look of surprise. "There's no way in hell Kaka would _ever_ try to assassinate King Vegeta. He don't even like anyone bad-mouthin' him! And why the hell would he _want_ to… he's the Royal Guard. Only thing that killin' the King would get him was dead…" he said, trailing off. He frowned. "You said… he _tried…."_

The Ox King gave a nod. "King Vegeta killed him, and his faith in humanity was lost. The Saiyans left the Earth… but that didn't stop other aliens from coming here. And in the end, Dodoria…" the Ox King shuddered, then his scowl returned. "That's why I've come back in time… to stop it from happening. If I can keep Kakarot from trying to assassinate the king, then I can stop the Saiyans from leaving, and with enough time to prepare, we may even be able to stop Dodoria from taking over the universe. I've taken the place of Sammy Black, who had originally cheated his way through to the Tournament semi-finals, and fought Kakarot, nearly dying at his hand. If I pretend to be him, I'll get a chance to fight Kakarot in the Tournament before he makes his move on the King-"

"Ok, ok, stop right there," Baga said, holding up his hands. "You're makin' my head hurt. Just let me see if I can get this straight. You came back in time to keep your father from doing somethin' he'd _never ever_ do, so King Vegeta can help you stop some other guy who's gonna destroy the universe?" he asked.

The Ox King frowned. " _Take over_ the universe, but… more or less, yeah."

"And King Vegeta didn't try and take this Dodoria guy down because…?"

"He _tried._ Dodoria ripped his head off; now he keeps it on top of that stupid staff he carries around," the Ox King said darkly.

"Okay, gross…" Baga said, shuddering. "Then how do you plan to stop Kakarot? If he really wanted to kill King Vegeta, which he _never would_ , the only one able to stop him _is_ King Vegeta! Or maybe, Broly," Baga said, scratching his head in thought.

The Ox King smirked. "I'll be able to hold my own," he said, unconcerned.

" _Really_. You think _you_ can defeat _Kakarot?!_ " Baga asked incredulously.

The Ox King's expression darkened. "I've been surviving against Dodoria for a long time," he said ominously. "Listen, Baga, whether or not you believe me, I need your help. Can you help me blend in and keep an eye on Kakarot until the Tournament?" he asked.

Baga scowled at him. The man before him was a far cry from the little cub who snuggled up to him at night, but scent didn't lie. Neither did scars, and Baga could see plenty on Gohan, both on his face, and in his eyes. Yeah… he was definitely keeping _that_ from happening… he didn't want to see his nephew turn into a cold stranger who hated his own father. "I'll help you, Gohan," he said after a long moment. The Ox King raised an eyebrow at that. "But it's not 'cause I think Kakarot would ever do anything to hurt the King," he said, causing the man to scowl. "It's 'cause Kaka needs to see what you've become. I'll help you pass yourself off as Sammy Black, but know that, when you face off against Kaka in the Tournament, I'll be rooting for _him_ to kick _your_ ass," he said, glaring. "You look like you could use it."

The Ox King glared back, and for a long moment, the tension between them was palpable, as neither of them backed down. Then, the Ox King gave a small sigh. "I wish you were right, Baga. More than anything," he said sadly.

Baga smirked. "I'm right, trust me. Kaka's a good man. Now, let's get your ass kicked nice and proper," he said, glancing around. "Stay here, I'll be right back," he said, and disappeared into what the Ox King recognized to be the mess hall. In his time, it was a pile of rubble, but his grandfather had shown him drawings of what the Arena looked like before the Saiyans had left. It was much more impressive in person, and the Ox King found himself laying a hand against the smooth obsidian wall.

Moments later, Baga re-appeared with a small jar of something. Once he opened it, the Ox King had to cover his nose with his forearm. "What the hell is _that_?!" the Ox King demanded, feeling ill.

"Nasty, ain't it?" Baga asked, dipping two fingers into the foul stuff. "It's rotten fish guts," he said conversationally, as the Ox King tried desperately not to vomit. "I was savin' it for a prank I was gonna play on Beet when he got back… but it's for a good cause, after all," he said, stepping towards the Ox King, who instinctively stepped back defensively. "You wanted my help, right?" Baga asked, eyebrow raised. "I was able to tell you by your scent, and so would any other Saiyan who was paying attention," he said. "This'll keep anyone from smelling you."

"Yeah… they'll be too busy throwing up!" the Ox King protested as Baga effortlessly lifted himself into the air so that he was at eye-level with him.

"Gohan… you want your plan to work, right?" Baga asked practically.

The Ox King glared at him for a long moment, before sighing. "Fine," he said, standing still as Baga slathered a bit of it on either side of his neck, wiping his hand on the Ox King's cloak.

"If anyone asks, tell 'em you don't smell anything," Baga instructed. "Human noses are dull, any Saiyan will assume you can't smell it 'cause you're human, and just keep their distance from ya," he said.

The Ox King tried to breathe through his mouth. "Humans could smell this, too… what if they start asking why I smell like something died?" he asked, eyes watering.

Baga shrugged. "Just tell 'em you've been sick or somethin'. Sammy's a fishmonger, the man eats whatever old fish he don't sell, to save money. Not that far of a stretch," he said, snickering.

"You're doing this to be an ass, aren't you?" the Ox King accused, but Baga held up his hands.

"I'm bein' serious. Look, if what you're sayin' is true, I wanna help you stop it from happening. And if it ain't… then this is what you get for lyin'," he said simply, looking him over with a critical eye. "Okay, if you wanna pass for human, you should slouch more. Humans slouch a lot, and they don't stand like that, they're more open to attack," he said, watching as the Ox King shifted his stance to comply. "Almost… you're really tall, you got Kaka's height, alright…" he said, as the Ox King slouched a little more. "Yeah, like that. Remember, if someone glares at you or shifts their stance like they're gonna attack, shrink back a little at first, _then_ prepare for an attack. A human's instinct is usually flight first, _then_ fight. And take a few hits here and there… you don't wanna be revealed as a Saiyan before you get to fight Kakarot," he said, smirking.

"You're enjoying this," the Ox King growled dangerously.

Baga, however, wasn't remotely intimidated. "Not as much as I'm gonna enjoy the Tournament, now. I was gonna fight, but this is too good to miss, I've gotta be a spectator now, just so I know I won't miss it," he said, frowning slightly.

" _No_ ," the Ox King said, holding out a hand to stop him. "You have to fight, Baga. History says you fought in the Tournament. If you drop out, you change the lineup, and I might not be put against Kakarot in the semi-finals," he said, his voice intense.

"Alright, alright," Baga said with a sigh. "How did I do, anyway? Did I win?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

"Did you… win the _Tournament_?" the Ox King asked, confused.

"Yeah. I'll bet I kicked everyone's asses," Baga said, smirking.

The Ox King blinked for a moment, then returned his smirk. "Guess there's only one way to find out," he said, earning a slight nod from Baga. It was a purely Saiyan moment. Baga had originally lost in the preliminaries, and the idea that he would be able to defeat Kakarot or King Vegeta in the Tournament was almost as ridiculous, as it was central to the core of his very being. Reaching for the top was what made a Saiyan, a Saiyan. Logic had absolutely nothing to do with it.

It made the Ox King miss his people.

Suddenly, the Ox King's eyes widened. "Wait… if I smell this bad… Kakarot will know I'm following him," he said, frowning.

Baga rolled his eyes. "If you've been following Kakarot, then he already knows," he said, shaking his head wryly. "You need a scouter," he said after a moment. "That way you can tell when he's near King Vegeta, you can keep tabs on him from far away," he said. "Hang on, I'll go swipe Matou's, he never uses it, I doubt he'll miss it," he said, and disappeared for another moment, before quickly returning with the scouter in hand. "Just, be careful who sees you use this… humans around here don't use scouters, except the EDS, and no amount of fish guts will get you to pass as one of _them_ ," he quipped, smirking at the image of a grown-up Gohan wearing skimpy red armor and a long red sleeve on one arm.

The Ox King placed the scouter on his face, and pressed the button on the side. He'd been introduced to their use by Prince Vegeta, and was able to understand the readouts quite easily. "Okay, I've got him. Thanks, Baga," he said, pulling his hood forward enough to conceal the scouter.

Baga scowled. "Gohan-"

"I told you, I'm the Ox King. I won't answer to that name," the Ox King said, irritated.

"You're a pain in the ass, Gohan, just shut up and listen. You're wrong about Kaka. I know you are. I also don't believe you're strong enough to stand up against him, much less beat him. But just in case you are, just know that, if you kill him, none of us will rest until you join him," Baga said, scowling.

The Ox King regarded him for a long moment. "I'm under orders not to kill him unless absolutely necessary," he replied.

"Orders by who?" Baga asked suspiciously.

"Someone important enough for me to listen to," the Ox King replied ominously. "I won't kill Kakarot unless doing so is the only way to stop the attempt on King Vegeta's life. On that, you have my word," he said with a scowl.

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The little Saiyan girl sat in the tent next to the wounded man on the cot, watching Twelve stitch wounds together and apply salves. She rested her cheek in her hand as she watched, legs swinging beneath her chair, not acting anything like the Saiyan warrior she was dressed like. "So… do you like to fight?" he asked conversationally, trying to figure this strange little girl out.

The strange little girl cast him a bored glance, and shrugged. "Not really," she said with a sigh. "I don't see the point. All you do is waste energy, and gain nothing," she said.

Twelve blinked. This girl was the complete opposite of Kakarot, that was for certain. He resumed stitching the man's wounds. "I've never heard of a Saiyan who doesn't like to fight," he said, eyebrow raised.

"I've never met a Human dressed up like a turtle," the girl said in response, reaching out to touch the human's hair. A small smile appeared on her face as she did so, pressing down on the curly afro, and watching it spring back up when she moved her finger.

"The turtle shells are for training," Twelve said, glancing down at his. "Though I suppose you're right, it _is_ a drain on my energy," he murmured thoughtfully. He shrugged, and continued working on the human, not bothering to take it off. "Not that it matters. My energy is nearly depleted as it is. May as well look like a Turtle School master when it's gone," he said, and made a final stitch. Carefully he cut the excess thread, and began to clean the area over the wounds with fresh water. Only when he glanced at the little girl did he notice her staring at him. "What?" he asked.

"You're not human," she said, frowning. "I've been trying to figure out why you _feel_ so weird to me, why you make my skin tingle, why you weren't scared of me when you saw I was a Saiyan," she said, looking him over.

"You're right. I'm not human," Twelve said, continuing his work. "I'm an android," he said.

The little girl blinked. "What's an android?" she asked, and since he was busy, he didn't notice how intense her look became.

"An android is a person that was made by another person, with technology," Twelve explained, the way he'd explained it to his students who had also asked him that question. "I used to be human, but now I have mechanical parts," he explained.

"Made that way, by Dr. Gero?" the girl asked, and Twelve's eyes snapped to meet hers, surprised.

"How did you know?" Twelve asked, getting a bad feeling.

"Because Dr. Gero changed _me_ , too," she said, taking a step towards him.

The woman in the lab, lying on the table… begging him to help… "You're…. you're that woman's child," Twelve said, swallowing as his eyes went wide. "You're Android Thirteen," he breathed. How often had Dr. Gero bragged about his precious Android Thirteen… and what she would one day do?

The little girl stopped, staring at him for a long moment. Then, she shrugged, and sat back down. "Maca. Ruta says my name's Maca, that's what mama named me. My name's supposed to be important or something," she said, going back to playing with the human's hair, seemingly oblivious to Twelve's look of horror. "My energy's pretty low, too, Master Twelve," she said, using the name he'd given her when they first met in the woods. "I'm on a diet," she said wryly. "No innocent humans, only the bad guys shooting at me, and any aliens that happen to show up. So I won't try to eat you or this guy. You can stop treating me like I'm a monster," she said, resting her cheek in her hand again. "Human hair's so soft," she murmured to herself as she played.

Twelve watched the girl, transfixed. He… he didn't want to ask, but he had to know. "Thirteen- er, Maca," he said, causing the girl's eyes to lazily move to meet his. "Do you know why Dr. Gero made you?" he asked, swallowing hard.

Maca held his gaze for a long moment before she spoke. "Yeah," she said, and raised an eyebrow. "'Cause he's an asshole. Why else would he make a creature whose only way of feeding herself and staying alive, was to eat the people around her? When all the people are gone, I'll just starve to death, anyway. I'm a weapon, made by a crazy dead guy. Everyone's afraid of me, no one likes me, and I'll probably end up either starving to death early, or getting killed by my own brother for tryin' to eat," she said, and turned back to staring at the human. "Do you have any idea what it's like? Being both too weak and too strong? Having everyone who's supposed to care about you being secretly afraid of you? They all want me to be just like them, but can't treat me like I'm just like them. 'Cause I'm not like them. My life makes no sense at all," she said, scowling. She sighed. "Only I don't have the energy to do anything about it."

Twelve watched her for a long moment, then sighed. "This guy looks like he might make it, but only time will tell. We'll both have to watch him, or he might die in his sleep. Will you help me keep him alive?" he asked.

Maca brushed her fingers through his hair again. "Yeah. I wanna see this guy make it," she said, scowling. She needed to know why Kakarot had done what he had, but she also took a perverse pleasure in thwarting Kakarot's plans for the guy. She couldn't fight Kakarot, but saving this human felt a bit like getting a shot at her sanctimonious asshole of a brother.

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Dr. Gero crossed her arms, a triumphant smirk on her face, and glanced at Lapis and Lazuli, who were also watching the monitor. "So, you see your target?" she asked them.

Lapis grinned. "This is gonna be fun! Finally, a _real_ mission!" he said, pumping his fist in the air.

Lazuli fingered the hoop earring in her left ear. The twins had recently had their ears pierced by Dr. Gero, so they could wear these when they went out on missions. Lapis thought they were cool, because now they matched the androids; Lazuli was still worried, for much the same reason. _Now they matched the androids._ "What about Android Twelve?" she asked. "Are we bringing him back, too?" she asked practically.

Dr. Gero tilted her head. "Fourteen and Fifteen will take care of Twelve. You two just bring me my little treasure. Prove to me you won't fail in this, and I'll let you both go on more missions in the future," she promised.

Lazuli smirked. "Don't worry… we'll have Android Thirteen eating out of our hand," she said, her eyes twinkling. "And, when she's finally here… we are _totally_ going shopping!" she said excitedly.

Dr. Gero gave the twins a patient smile as they left to prepare. They were human children, of course their priorities would be skewed, of course they wouldn't see Android Thirteen for what she _really_ was. But no matter. Soon, she would have everything that belonged to her. Then, it wouldn't matter _how_ many of the Red Ribbon Army's secret bases those aliens destroyed, it would be _she_ who single-handedly wiped the vermin from the face of the earth.


	12. The Tournament, Part 3

Three days before the Tournament, the Ox Kingdom was a chaotic bustle of excitement and hurried preparations. King Vegeta was pinching the bridge of his nose, eyes closed, as the crowd of people around him kept trying to talk over each other to get his attention. Strangely, Kakarot was standing on the opposite end of the room, arms crossed, seeming to find his predicament amusing. Scowling, King Vegeta suddenly bellowed, "ENOUGH!"

The room got very quiet.

King Vegeta turned to Radditz. "You. What is it?"

"My sister's been missing for days, and I can't find her anywhere," Raditz repeated, now that he could be heard.

"And how is that my problem?" King Vegeta asked, arms crossed.

Raditz scowled. "It's not, Sire. But, I need my brother's help, and he's been guarding you-"

"Kakarot!" King Vegeta said, glaring at his Royal Guard, who's face seemed to fall. "Go help your damned family, find your sister, don't come back until you do," he ordered. Kakarot scowled, but gave a single nod, and walked out of the room, followed by Raditz.

King Vegeta turned to Matou. "What?"

"Sire, we should have enough food for this thing, but not enough hands to prepare it," Matou said, keeping it simple and to the point.

"What about that boy, Baga?" Vegeta asked.

"I need two more like him. Five more if they're less capable," Matou replied.

Vegeta scowled. "What about the hybrids? You should have no shortage of hands," he reasoned.

"Useless in the kitchen, I've tried," Matou replied.

"Then go ask the Ox King. Go into the human cities if you have to," Vegeta said, then turned his attention to someone else as Matou bowed and left.

"What is it, Tarble?" he asked, a bit less roughly, though there was no hiding his annoyance.

"Brother, the Tournament is three days away, and we still don't have a way to organize it," Prince Tarble said, crossing his arms. After all, he had been trying to bring his brother's attention to that fact for days now, to no avail.

"Yes he does," a female's voice said, softly sighing as she walked into the room. The blue-haired queen scowled at the group of people clustered around her husband. She walked up to him, eyebrow raised, and people moved aside for her until she was standing beside Vegeta. He was smirking at her, and Bulma shot him a glare, then turned to the others. "I've created a computer program that will randomly pair contestants together. The matches will be held in the same domes we use for training, and I'm working on a holographic display that will allow everyone in the Arena to see the matches as they occur simultaneously. I have a system set up for the Preliminaries, the Semi-finals, and the Finals, no matter how many people decide to join in at the last minute," she said, crossing her arms smugly.

"Wow… you did all _that_?" Prince Tarble said, eyes wide.

"Of _course_ she did. Do you expect anything less from _my_ mate?" King Vegeta demanded. Smirks and looks of admiration lit up the people's faces, and Vegeta turned his eyes back to Tarble. "Prince Tarble, take care of the rest of this, let me know if any of it's important. You people are giving me a headache," he said, and turned and left the throne room, his hand on Bulma's back guiding her to follow him.

Once they were behind closed doors, Bulma turned, scowling at him. "You _expected_ me to do that," she accused, arms crossed.

King Vegeta shrugged. "I did," he said, his arms also crossed.

"And what if I hadn't stepped in and saved your ass? What if I'd let you just try to figure your way out of your own mess?" she demanded.

"Then I'd know my faith in your abilities was misplaced," Vegeta said, eyes narrowed.

Bulma glared at him intensely. "So, that's my job, then? I'm supposed to bail you out every time you get yourself into trouble?!" she demanded.

Vegeta returned the glare. "You _are_ my mate, aren't you?!" he retorted.

Bulma blinked at that. She'd thought he was being an ass for not even asking for her help, thought he was being irresponsible for not planning ahead, when… when he'd just _trusted_ her to know what he needed, and to provide it to the best of her abilities. Tanmen had been right, after all.

But to show weakness now wasn't in her nature, any more than it was in Vegeta's to tolerate it. Bulma scowled at him, then leaned forward, pressing her lips to his forcefully.

The next instant, she was being pressed against the covers of their bed, his arms around her.

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Shouting could be heard all throughout the wasteland. Tienshinhan gazed at his students, arms crossed, as they sparred with each other in preparation for the big Tournament. He wanted them to get a feel for how strong their enemies were, to better prepare themselves for when they inevitably attacked. He'd told them to practice for a while without their turtle shells, so they'd get the hang of their newfound strength. And they _had_ increased their strength…

But two of them had increased it a _lot._

Maaya and Tasha sparred with each other fiercely, the force of their energy crumbling the ground at their feet, and causing cracks in the boulders around them. It made no sense… those two were always last to finish their daily chores, they always seemed to move more slowly, and have a harder time lifting heavy objects, than the others. Yet, here they were, fighting with such _power._ And Tien sensed they were still holding back. He narrowed his eyes at the two. "Maaya. Tasha. Come here," he called. The two girls glanced at each other, then stopped what they were doing, and came to stand before him.

"Yes, Master Tien?" Maaya asked meekly.

Tienshinhan frowned down at them. "How is it that my two weakest students are suddenly my two strongest?" he asked, noticing how the others stopped what they were doing and began to watch. He kept his eyes on the girls, who sent each other guilty glances. "Well?"

Tasha scowled. "Maybe 'cause we haven't been taking the shells off when you're not looking," she said, looking down. She, too, had been guilty of doing the same thing, before she'd started training with Maaya in secret. After having worn Maaya's turtle shell all the time, the way they were _supposed_ to be doing it, she had felt less and less inclined to cover up for the others. After all… they _were_ there to get stronger, not just play around.

Tienshinhan turned a glare at the others. "Is that true?" he demanded.

The others looked down in shame, confirming Tasha's accusation. One of them, a young boy, stuck his lip out. "But… Master Tien… they're just so _heavy,_ " he said, kicking the ground, earning nods from many of the others.

"Of _course_ they're heavy! They're supposed to make you _stronger!_ " Tien growled, causing the children to swallow their complaints. "What are you going to do when the Saiyans come to attack? Are you going to complain to them that they're hitting you too hard?" he accused.

One of the older boys, Ketsu, scowled at that. "Those shells get in the way of our movements, Master Tien. Why can't you just teach us how to fight like normal? At this rate, we'll _never_ be able to stand up to the Saiyans," he said angrily.

"Do you all feel that way?" Tienshinhan asked the others. Everyone but Maaya and Tasha nodded. He turned to them. "You two. When you were sparring just now, you were holding back. Am I right?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

The two girls glanced at each other, and blushed. "Yes, Master Tien," they said in unison, looking down.

"Fight me. Both of you. Right now. And no holding back, because _I_ won't be," he told them darkly, slipping off his own turtle shell.

Maaya and Tasha glanced at each other again, then scowled, taking up fighting stances as they faced off against him. The others watched in amazement, as in the blink of an eye, Tienshinhan sent a punch towards Maaya's face…

…only to be blocked by one small hand.

Behind him, a swift kick sped towards Tien's head, and he ducked just in time, spinning around to send a kick towards Tasha's side, which did not connect. The girls worked in tandem, moving swiftly, blocking effortlessly. Tien called more power to himself, and true to his promise, stopped holding back.

The battle that commenced lasted a full hour, before both girls had been slammed into the ground. Unsteadily, they pulled themselves to their feet, but a heavily winded Tienshinhan held up a hand, calling a stop to the spar.

"Enough," Tien said, catching his breath as he stood. The other students were standing by, watching with wide eyes and open mouths. He smirked at the girls. "That wasn't just the turtle shells that made you _that_ strong. What was it?" he demanded.

"Prayer," a voice said from behind him, and Tienshinhan spun around to see a short bald teenager wearing a white robe, with half a symbol on it. "These girls have been asking us to help them get stronger. Go ahead, pick up their shells," Krillin said, and Tien walked over to Tasha and Maaya's shells, picking them up.

They were heavier than his own.

His eyes widened, and he looked at the two girls in surprise. "If you wanted to advance in your training, why didn't you just come to me?" he asked them, frowning.

The two girls glanced at each other, then back at Krillin.

"It's okay. Tell him. Don't worry, things aren't as dire as you think," he said gently.

Maaya bit her lip, and turned her eyes to Tienshinhan. "We were afraid… because… because we don't think the Saiyans are as bad as you do," she said.

"And they're not planning to attack us, either," Tasha added, scowling. "They're just minding their own business. They even…" she shared a glance with Maaya, who nodded. "They even offered to let me and Maaya join the EDS," she said.

Tienshinhan scowled at them, then turned to Krillin. "You _knew_ about this?" he demanded.

Krillin returned his scowl with one of his own. "Upa and I asked you, Chiaotzu, and Twelve to train these children, in hopes of strengthening humanity. But instead, you've focused more on fostering your own hatred within them, instead of finding out what would motivate each of them to get stronger. Look at the strides these girls made, because they're training for something they _believe_ in," he said.

Tienshinhan glared at the girls. "Those two are traitors, Guardian. You're helping them betray humanity, which means _you're_ betraying humanity, too," he said, eyes narrowed at Krillin.

"You can't protect humanity by walking away from what makes us _human_ ," Krillin replied.

"How would _you_ know what it is to be human? You stopped being human when you became a Guardian! How dare you judge us from your peaceful lookout, when we're the ones down here having to face the Saiyans?!" Tienshinhan yelled.

"The Saiyans aren't fighting us!" Tasha retorted, scowling. She looked to the other students. "He's so angry at the Saiyans, but haven't any of you noticed, we haven't been attacked by them once? We see them fly over all the time, don't you think they'd try to blast us or something if they really wanted to stop us? We've even been to the Ox Kingdom, and fought with one of them. They _want_ us to get stronger, because they just like to get stronger, and they want someone as strong as they are, to fight with. Not 'cause they want to take over our planet. Just 'cause, when you fight against someone stronger than you are, then it helps _you_ get stronger, too!" she said.

"You two are so naïve," Tien said, shaking his head in disgust. "Do you really think that the Saiyans don't have some hidden agenda for wanting to recruit you? Don't you see what they're doing? They need humans to breed with, to keep from dying out. That's all you are to them. Incubators for their offspring," he told them.

"That's not true!" Maaya said, scowling. "We've seen how they treat each other, and if you cared to go visit them, you'd see it, too! You're just so blinded by your anger, you can't see what's right in front of you!" she accused.

"Listen to her, Tienshinhan. She's right," Krillin said softly, his eyes sad.

Tienshinhan glared at them all. "To hell with this. You lot," he said, scowling at the other students. "If you want to learn martial arts, really learn it, then come with me. I'll show you how to _truly_ strike fear in your opponent… the Crane School way," he said, sending a glare at Krillin.

" _Finally_ ," Ketsu murmured, and went to stand beside him, followed by a few more, then a few more after that. Only four stayed behind, the really young ones, who looked at each other hesitantly.

Maaya stepped forward, looking at the small children. "Tasha and I will get you guys somewhere safe, where they can find homes for you. Would you like that?" she asked them.

Their faces fell, and one of them, a little girl in pig tails, walked up to Maaya and motioned for her to bend down. When she did so, the little girl whispered, "Can we please stay with you and Tasha? We'll train hard…"

Maaya gave her a warm smile. "Sure you can," she said softly, and the little girl clung tightly to her hand, and the other three ran up to her and Tasha, hiding behind their legs from Master Tien's dark glare.

"Don't cross paths with us at the Tournament, traitors," Tienshinhan said darkly. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a capsule and opened it, revealing the sky bus they often used when they weren't training. The students that decided to stay with him filed onto the bus, and in no time they disappeared into the sky.

"Guardian…" Maaya said meekly, causing Krillin to look at her. "I just wanted to say… thank you. For helping us. I know things look scary, but… it helps to know you're watching over us," she said.

Krillin waved a hand. "Nah, don't mention it! I should be thanking you. I think we all got so caught up in whether the Saiyans were good or evil, we forgot to focus on whether _we_ were good or evil ourselves. You helped remind us that being human _means_ something, something more than just what species you are," he said. He smiled. "How about you guys come up to the Lookout to train, until the Tournament? There are some things that Upa and I would like to teach you," he offered.

The girls' faces lit up. "Now we're talking!" Tasha exclaimed. At Krillin's odd look, she fidgeted. "Oh, and… uh, sorry for not believing in you at first, Guardian," she said, embarrassed.

Krillin snickered. "Don't worry… if I wasn't one of the Guardians, I don't know if I would believe in us, either," he said, earning a wry grin from Tasha. "Now, everyone gather together," he said. Once they had, they were surrounded by a bright golden light, and soon began to lift up into the sky…

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The Ox King watched Kakarot argue with his brother Raditz from afar. He couldn't hear what they were arguing about, but the two of them soon split up, flying off in different directions. He wanted to follow Kakarot, but knew that doing so would give him away… the downside of his disguise was that a Saiyan would smell him coming from miles away. He needed to stay around the humans, to blend in. If he couldn't keep an eye on Kakarot, he could at least keep an eye on King Vegeta.

Besides, he had to sign up for the Tournament.

The Ox King felt the line he was standing in start to move forward, so he took another step. It seemed like every man from the Ox Kingdom was signing up for this thing; they all wanted to test their strength against the Saiyans, in the hopes that they could at least beat a few of them. Everyone knew King Vegeta would probably win, and unlike the Saiyans, none of the humans seemed to be gunning for the top; no, from the conversations he overheard, they considered making it past the preliminaries to be their ultimate goal. In fact, it seemed his grandfather had promised a sizable treasure to the human who made it the farthest in the Tournament. Which probably accounted for all the humans in line to compete.

Luckily for the Ox King, that included a number of humans from outside of the Ox Kingdom, so no one bothered asking who he was. He really hadn't given his disguise proper thought… of course everyone would know everyone else in such a small kingdom. After all, _he_ knew most of _his_ people.

He wondered how Prince Vegeta was faring in Saki's cavern. They had spent quite a bit of time there with the hermit lady's older self, and the crazy lady, while a genius in her own right, was a bit much to handle. The older Saki was paranoid, absent-minded, and hit on anything that moved (that she didn't kill, anyway), _especially_ Prince Vegeta, despite the fact he was still a cub. Of course, most of that was probably from living alone all those years… Prince Vegeta was probably just fine…

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Prince Vegeta sneezed as he explored the dusty cavern. Saki had obviously not been here long, none of the robot sentries she'd been so proud of had been built, and there didn't seem to be a single booby trap in place. But, there was one thing that was here, that she had said had been here even before she came along…

 _There._ Smirking, the small Saiyan prince flipped on the switch that powered this room, and all the lights and computer consoles came to life. On the wall, large as life, showed the surrounding solar system. The young Vegeta walked up to one of the computer consoles, entered a few commands, and the scene on the screen changed.

There, floating above one of the planets on the edge of their solar system, was a large, glistening white disk, waiting in the darkness.

His ship.

Vegeta's smirk grew as he gazed at what would one day be his. Beautiful, unscratched, ready for all the adventures he would take her on.

As though it had never met Dodoria.

As soon as the Ox King returned, hopefully with Kakarot still alive, then it would be his turn to change the past. Because, somewhere out there, Dodoria was-

The sounds of shouts and laser blasts interrupted his thoughts, and he scowled. What the hell was she doing _now_?!

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Saki held her laser aimed at the four policemen who had shown up at her cavern, guns drawn. She had been so entranced with the book she'd been studying, she hadn't noticed them until they had already entered.

 _That_ had to change…

"We're warning you, kid-" one of them began to shout.

"No, I'm warning YOU!" Saki yelled back, narrowing her eyes. "Go away, or I'll drill holes straight through you!"

"What the hell is all of this, Saki?" a short lavender-haired boy asked, as he entered the cavern, looking bored. One of the police officers turned his gun on him.

"Look, kid, you need to run out of here. This girl's a wanted criminal, she killed five people, and you might be next!" the officer said, scowling as he looked the boy over.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow at that, glancing back at Saki. "Five? What'd they do, try and steal your granola bars?" he asked, still sounding relatively unconcerned.

Saki looked down, her cheeks turning red. "I… I thought they were aliens," she said, embarrassed. She glared at the police officers. "What the hell else was I supposed to think? Aliens come and kill everyone in my city, and then, some more people show up, wearing strange suits and masks over their faces? Of _course_ I killed them!" she said, scowling. "It's called survival, and I'm good at it. Come any closer, and I'll show you what I mean!" she said, her finger over the button.

"Look… I'm sure it was a mistake, and the judge will go easy on you, since you're a kid, and didn't know what you were doing. But, if you threaten us, and keep aiming a gun at us, we'll have no choice but to open fire, kid. If you want to survive, your best shot is to come with us right now," one of the officers, an older one, said calmly.

Saki blinked at that. Should… should she? She couldn't imagine a life where she wasn't running or hiding… should she just turn herself in? Those people _had_ been innocent, after all…

But… that book…

Saki swallowed. "I'm sorry. I have a job to do. I can't go with you now," she said, preparing herself for a fight.

"You don't get it, kid. You don't have a choice," the older officer said. "We are officers of the law. You _have_ to come with us, right now. Or _else,"_ he threatened.

"You don't have any jurisdiction over her," Prince Vegeta said, stretching and rolling his eyes.

The older officer glanced at him. "Kid, I thought we told you to beat it," he said.

The boy scowled. "You don't have jurisdiction over me, either," he said, walking over to Saki's side. "Forgive me for not introducing myself. I'm Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans. And you are harassing one of my people. More importantly, you're _annoying me_ ," he said, his eyes narrowed.

The officers glanced at each other hesitantly, but one of them pointed, his eyes wide. "He… has a tail!" the officer said, pointing to the tail wrapped around the young prince's waist. But the older officer merely scowled at him.

"Look, I don't care who you are. This girl's a murderer, and we _will_ bring her to justice! You Saiyans can't just nab people and call them _yours!_ This is still _our planet!_ " he said, aiming his gun now at Prince Vegeta.

Suddenly, a large hole appeared in his chest, and in the cavern wall behind him. His eyes glazed over as he tried to gasp for air, only there was no longer anything left of his lungs. The gun clattered to the ground, and seconds later, his lifeless body joined it.

Saki aimed her laser gun at the others. "I can't let you tell them where to find me," she said, eyes cold. She fired the laser at another officer, who turned to run at the last second, causing half of his head to disappear, as another perfect hole was drilled into the wall behind him.

The other two officers found their way out blocked by Prince Vegeta, who cocked his head at them. "Sorry, but she's right," he said, and lifted his hand, blasting both of them into nothing.

When he looked up, he was being attacked by Saki, who was smothering him in a tight hug. "Ugh… get off me!" he demanded, trying to wrestle her off of him without actually hurting her. She was pretty strong, for a human. Soon enough, however, she let go of her own accord, stepping back and looking down, cheeks red.

"Uh… Prince Vegeta," she said, kicking at the ground. "Did you mean that? That I was one of your people?" she asked.

The lavender-haired prince blinked at her, and frowned. "Don't read too much into it. I need you, for your skills. You said you'd do what I say, right?" he asked. Saki nodded quickly. "Then you're one of mine. Now, get back in there, and get back to studying that book. I'll take care of the trash," he said, referring to the two corpses still in the cavern.

"Yes, Prince Vegeta!" Saki said excitedly, and ran back into the cavern, practically beaming.

Prince Vegeta watched her go, and shook his head wryly. "Girls are _weird_ ," he muttered. At least she didn't seem to be as creepy as her older self…

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Maca gently wrung the water-soaked cloth over the man's open mouth. "That's it… just a little at a time. His throat muscles will naturally begin to swallow, but if you do too much, he'll choke," Twelve advised, watching her closely.

"And he needs water to make more blood, right? To replace what he lost?" she asked.

"That's right," Twelve said, nodding. "Hey, who knows, you might make a pretty good doctor one day," he said.

Maca blinked at that. "A doctor? Like Dr. Gero?" she asked.

Twelve grimaced. "No, that's not what I meant. He was a scientist. I meant, the kind of doctor who helps heal people," he said.

Maca grinned. "Like Uncle Turles," she said, easing more water into the sleeping man's mouth. "He tells people what's wrong with them, and gives them medicine to make them better," she said.

"Yeah, that's what I mean. You should think about doing that. I think you'd be good at it," Twelve said, faltering for a moment. He reached out for something to hold onto, and suddenly felt a chair behind his legs, and Maca's hand on his, guiding him to sit down. "You're really weak, aren't you?" she asked him as he did so, her voice subdued.

"Sorry…" Twelve said, trying to get his bearings. "My energy's almost gone," he said. He'd removed his heavy turtle shell yesterday, but he was still feeling less and less like he'd make it to the next sunset. Pretty soon, he wouldn't have the necessary energy to maintain his cognitive functions, much less to provide movement.

Maca frowned. "Is this what dying is? For… for androids?" she asked, gazing up at him innocently. "Is this how it's gonna happen for me?" she asked.

Twelve shook his head. "Maca… listen to me. Never forget the things that your family teaches you, that your sister and brothers teach you. It's… it's what makes you, _you_. I know you don't feel like a Saiyan, but a part of you will always be Saiyan, no matter what Dr. Gero did. Holding onto that, is the best thing you can do… because if you ever lose that part of you… then Dr. Gero _wins_ ," he said.

Maca blinked at that. "O….kay. That did _not_ answer my question," she said, as the android's eyes began to close. "Twelve? Master Twelve?" she asked, trying to shake him awake.

His eyes remained closed.

Maca glanced at the man on the cot. "That guy is _not_ gonna make it with just me cleanin' him up and givin' him water. He needs someone who knows what they're doing," she said, and looked back at Master Twelve, then down at her hand. "I've only done this with my sister… and it was to take energy, not to give it. But…" she bit her lip, and placed her hand on his chest. "I need you not to die… this guy needs you," she murmured, and closed her eyes. She concentrated on giving her energy, to him. Instinctively, the tiny little slivers of flesh emerged from her hands, piercing Master Twelve's chest, in search of where to put the energy. _There…._ it wasn't a heart, but a metal device, that was barely functioning. And… it was _leaking…_ _'Ok, this thing sucks…'_ she thought to herself, not terribly impressed by this so-called genius and his handiwork. _'It should be more… like this…'_ she thought, allowing it to melt into her. Then, she put it together again, only this time, differently… this time, instead of metal and wires, it was a sort of heart, made of flesh, with wires emanating from it, connecting to the rest of his body. She poured her energy into it…

…and it began to beat.

When she removed her hand, she felt drowsy, and very hungry. Master Twelve's eyes fluttered open, and he gave her a confused look, gazing down at himself, and at the small handprint-shaped scar on his chest. "What… what did you do?" he asked, frowning.

Maca looked down at her hand. In her palm, she was holding the leftover bits of his energy unit that she hadn't used. "I re-made your energy unit. It was leaking energy. You must've cracked it," she said, holding up a cracked piece of metal for him to see.

Twelve gazed at the pieces, wide-eyed. "But… if those are the pieces of it… what's… what's giving me energy?" he asked.

Maca shrugged. "At the moment, I am," she said, yawning. "I put a piece of me inside you, and gave you some of my energy. But it ain't much… I didn't have too much to start off with."

"There's…. your cells are inside me?" Twelve asked, eyes wide with horror.

Maca rolled her eyes. "You're welcome," she said, shaking her head as she yawned again. "I need a nap. You mad at me? Gonna kill me in my sleep or somethin'?" she asked sleepily.

Twelve reached out, and placed a hand on her arm. "Maca… thank you. But, you shouldn't have done that. Some things are best left to die," he said, frowning.

"Not me, or you, or that guy," she said, jerking her head towards the man in the cot. She yawned again. "Do whatever, but… can ya please just save the guy? And stop being so ready to die all the time… it's annoying," she said, and walked towards the stack of spare blankets on the side of the tent. She knocked them over, and curled up into a ball on top of the haphazard pile, falling asleep almost instantly.

Twelve watched her, then looked down at his chest again. Thirteen… was a part of him, now. He swallowed. How long would it be, before her cells reproduced…

…before they took over him completely?

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Tanmen entered another name into the laptop Bulma had given her. "Ok… Sammy Black. Got it. Please take this number, it will tell you when it's your turn to fight," she said, handing the small piece of paper to the tall smelly man, who nodded and left. Next was a young dark-skinned girl, wearing a yellow dress with her hair tied back in a red bandana. Tanmen smiled. "Looking for someone, sweetie? Or are you here to join the fighting?" she asked.

"Here to join the fighting," the girl said, determination in her eyes.

Tanmen beamed at that. "About time some of the girls got in on this," she said, eyes shining. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Heaven Sora," she said proudly.

Tanmen smiled, and typed her name. "Heaven… Sora. Okay, you're added. Take this number, it will tell you when it's your turn to fight," she said. Before she handed the paper to her, she paused. "Uh… Heaven… do you have anything you can fight in? Dresses… aren't really a good idea…" she said.

Heaven frowned. "Uh… no, I don't… most of our money goes to our ingredients…" she said with a sigh.

Tanmen glanced down the table. "Hey, Snow! Can you sit in for me for a few minutes? I need to do something," she said.

The red-haired girl smiled easily. "Sure thing," she said, and sat down, looking for the next person in line. "Ok, next!" she called.

Tanmen gripped Heaven's hand. "Ok, Heaven, come with me!" she said excitedly. Tanmen led the younger girl out of the crowd, and cast her a glance. "Ready to be brave?" she asked the girl, with a grin. The girl gave a decisive nod. Tanmen moved behind her, and hooked two hands beneath her arms, taking to the air. Heaven saw everything grow distant beneath her with wide eyes, and laughed out loud at the sensation.

"Wow! You do this with just your energy?" Heaven asked in wonder, as they flew up towards the Upper Rows, where members of the EDS usually stayed, so they could be the first line of defense if there was an attack on the Ox Kingdom.

"That's right. You can learn it, too, if you want," Tanmen replied, eyebrow raised.

Heaven's expression fell somewhat as they landed in front of one of the curtained doors. "Yeah… I know. Before my dad died, I wanted to try out to join the EDS, but… with him gone, my mom needs help keeping the booth going…" she said solemnly. She fidgeted. "Momma wants me to be what I want to be, and I want to fight… but I also love to bake. I guess, I'm joining the Tournament, 'cause I want to see if I'm good enough to…"

"To give up one dream for another?" Tanmen asked, a look of gentle understanding on her face. Heaven nodded. "You know, it doesn't have to be either-or. Sure, training for the EDS will take up a lot of time, but you will still have part of the day to help your mother, and you'll be well taken care of," she said, as she led the girl into her small home, going to the shelf where she had outfits carefully folded. "I still have my clothes from when I was close to your age. One of these should fit you," she said as she went through each of them. "Here… try this on. Go ahead, I won't look, and no one else is here," she said, handing her the body suit. It was black, with a red sash around the waist. "It's supposed to be worn under armor, but if you're not used to it, you should fight without it. With your size, speed and flexibility are what you want to go for, not durability," she said, turning around so Heaven could get undressed.

"Yeah… that makes sense. I used to have a fighting gi, when my papa used to train me, but I' grew out of it," Heaven said, slipping out of her dress and into the black body suit. "Wow, this fits perfectly, Miss!"

"Call me Tanmen. Wow, that really suits you!" Tanmen said when she turned around. "Since it fits you, you can have it," she said, smiling.

Heaven bowed. "Thank you so much, Tanmen. This is so neat… I can't wait to fight in this!" she said excitedly.

Just then, a slap could be heard at the door, the equivalent of a knock for the Saiyan-style dwellings the Ox Kingdom was made of. "Come in!" Tanmen said, eyebrow raised in surprise. The curtain drew back, and a short spiky-haired Saiyan poked his head in. "Prince Tarble!" Tanmen said, her cheeks turning crimson. She had tried to speak to him the way Bulma had suggested the other day, but she had lost her nerve part-way through. She hadn't spoken to him since.

Prince Tarble entered the room, and saw Heaven. "Oh, sorry, Tanmen… I didn't realize you had company," he said.

Heaven was nothing if not perceptive. Smiling, she quickly gathered up her yellow dress. "Oh, I was just leaving. Thanks for the outfit, Tanmen! See you at the Tournament!" she said, and ran out the door giggling before Tanmen could stop her.

Prince Tarble blinked. "Oh… well, I guess I just came, because…" he began, then blushed as Tanmen turned away. "Uh… Tanmen… you were trying to tell me something the other day, and…" He took a deep breath. "Tanmen… our cultures are very different. I'm sure you know, in our culture, the… the _females_ usually pursue the _males_ … but… in yours, I think it's the other way around, isn't it?" he asked softly.

Tanmen's face was pure crimson, and she nodded, unable to speak.

Prince Tarble shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Then… if that's the case… then I think the awkwardness between us is… is a result of… of our both wanting the same thing, but being afraid to ask for it…" he said, his cheeks also turning crimson.

Tanmen dared a glance at him, and bit her lip. "Prince Tarble… I…." she said, and swallowed past the dryness in her throat. "If you and I both want… the same thing…" she said, wringing her hands.

Prince Tarble's eyes focused on hers. "Tanmen…. we… we don't do the asking, because the females tend to think of what's important, and we tend to… only focus on… well…"

"I know. I've been getting tips and advice from everyone, but…" Tanmen said, continuing to wring her hands. "I just… why can I face monsters in battle, but I can't even…." she looked away.

Suddenly, two hands held hers, and her breath caught, as her eyes moved to meet Tarble's. "Do you want to ask if I'm interested in you? As… as a mate?" he asked bravely.

Tanmen swallowed, and nodded. "A-are you? I-interested, I mean?" she asked, her face turning an even deeper shade of crimson.

Prince Tarble smirked softly. "I… have been, since you kissed me…" he said, his blush deepening as well.

Tanmen bit her lip. "You know… that was to save your life… right?" she asked, her eyes searching his.

Prince Tarble blinked. "Then… maybe you should do it again…" he said softly.

"Maybe… you should…. kiss _me_ …" she said breathlessly.

Prince Tarble smiled. "I think the only thing that will work with us… is if we both do it… together," he said.

Tanmen smiled, and gave a nod. "Together," she said in agreement.

Slowly, they each leaned forward, and pressed their lips to each other's, softly at first, then with much more intensity…

After a few blissful moments of that, however, Tanmen gently pushed him away, causing Prince Tarble to blink in confusion. Tanmen took a steadying breath. "In… in my culture… we don't… we don't rush in," she said, biting her lip.

Prince Tarble frowned slightly. "So… you haven't truly decided…"

"I have," Tanmen said, definitively. She unclasped her necklace, revealing it to be a strange black and white disk. "This… this is a yin-yang," she said, and pulled the disk apart, revealing it to have two interlocking pieces. "It's a symbol that means many things to my people..." she said, and handed him the white half of the disk. "I want you to keep this half with you. It's… it's my way of…"

"Of marking me?" Prince Tarble asked, an amused glint in his eyes.

Tanmen blushed deeply. "I… I don't want to do anything physical… until, you know, we've been…. well… _acclimated_ to each other," she said, clasping the other half of the necklace back onto her neck. Seeing that he was having trouble with his, she gently reached around and clasped his necklace onto his neck, as well.

Prince Tarble looked down at it, and smiled. He then turned his eyes to Tanmen. "In my culture… there's also something we do, to signify a warrior has joined a family," he said, and tore a strip of cloth from his blue cape. Gently, he tied it tightly around her wrist, the one that held her red glove, so that it showed in stark contrast against the red beneath it. "You're mine, then, Tanmen. I'll wait for you… but, if you change your mind…"

"I know, and I won't. Not ever," she promised, her hand on the blue strip of cloth around her wrist. She bit her lip. "You should probably go… before…"

Prince Tarble nodded, but leaned forward, and gave her another kiss, causing her to melt into his arms. "I'll see you tomorrow, Tanmen," he almost whispered. Then, he turned and left the room.

Tanmen's knees were weak, and yet, she felt like she was going to burst. She… she had to…

Like a bolt of lightning, she flew out of her home and towards the Arena… and Queen Bulma's workshop.

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When Tanmen arrived at the workshop, something didn't feel right. She could hear one of the machines speaking, which wasn't that odd… but it was asking for her to select a program. Over and over.

It was annoying. "Bulma?" she called, walking over to the console. ' _Surely she wouldn't have left this run-'_

"Bulma!" Tanmen shouted, as she kneeled over the form of her friend, lying on the floor. She turned her over, and checked her pulse. Still alive. "HELP! SOMEONE HELP!" she yelled, knowing it wouldn't be long until someone did.

She wasn't wrong. Seconds later, King Vegeta had burst in, and was on Bulma's other side. "What happened?!" he demanded.

Tanmen shook her head. "I just found her like this," she said, frowning. The king gave her a nod, and placing a hand on Bulma's arm, pressed two fingers to his forehead, and disappeared.

Knowing where they went, Tanmen quickly left, heading straight for Turles's. King Vegeta's edict not to use instant transmission within the Ox Kingdom may not be strictly followed by many, due to the impossibility in enforcing such a law, but Tanmen was a stickler for rules.

She did, however, fly there as quickly as possible.

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Turles scowled over the computer console. "Hey, Zohan… look at this," he called to the human doctor. Dr. Zohan came over to look at the console. "What the hell _is_ that thing?" he asked.

Dr. Zohan blinked, looking from Queen Bulma, to the readings. He raised an eyebrow. "Well… it's a device many young women have inserted, to…"

"To _what_?" King Vegeta demanded, scowling. Tanmen, however, blushed, glancing away.

"Well, Sire, to regulate their menstruation, and, quite frankly, to prevent pregnancy," Dr. Zohan said, cocking his head. "Queen Bulma's had it in since she was a teenager, if memory serves from reading her medical reports," he said.

King Vegeta's eyes narrowed. "She's… _preventing_ pregnancy?" he asked, not exactly sure how he felt about that.

Turles smirked. "Not that it's working very well… look what else we found, Sire," he said, moving the monitor where the king could see it. Turles pointed to something else… something unmistakable.

"She's with cub!" King Vegeta said, a slow smirk appearing on his face. A slow burning pride began to form for the child strong enough to blatantly ignore the technology designed to prevent its very existence. But then, his face fell. "Then, why is she unconscious?" he demanded.

"Dehydration," Dr. Zohan said.

"And vitamin deficiency," Turles added. As Dr. Zohan began to start an IV, Turles pulled out a syringe of a strange green liquid, and inserted it into the line, turning the clear liquid a pale green. "When she comes to, she needs to eat raw. Make sure it's fresh, humans are highly susceptible to food-borne illnesses. Preferably liver, I'll give Matou a list of foods she needs to bulk up on. She needs to eat at least six times a day, if not more… humans only have one stomach, and they digest food slowly, so she needs to be always eating _something_. Keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn't pass out again, make sure she drinks at least a gallon of water a day. Have her talk to Raditz's mate, Launch; that woman's becoming an expert on bearing half-Saiyan cubs," he said.

King Vegeta scowled. "So… I'll need to _remain_ with her while she's pregnant…" he said, glancing down at his mate, as the blue-haired queen's eyes began to flutter open.

"Wh… what happened? Vegeta? Where am… oh, god, I passed out again, didn't I?" she groaned.

"AGAIN?!" Vegeta demanded, scowling at her. Turles rolled his eyes.

"Like I said. _Watch her_ ," the medic said, and double-checked the IV. "Queen Bulma, I'm happy to inform you that, despite all your attempts to prevent such a thing, you're having a cub. Eat what you're told to eat, drink what you're told to drink, rest when you're told to rest, and you just might survive the process. I have no doubt your cub will take whatever it needs from your own body otherwise, and rip its way out of your desiccated corpse should you choose to ignore my advice, because any child of the two of you has got to be a force to be reckoned with," Turles said.

Dr. Zohan gave Turles a dubious look, then turned his eyes to Queen Bulma. "We can remove the IUD once the cub is born. It isn't really healthy for the cub, but it seems he or she has already built up an immunity to it, so we should be safe leaving it in there for now. At this point, it's more of a choking hazard for the cub than anything…" he said with a patient smile.

Bulma blinked as she took in all the information. "Oh, yeah… I forgot about that thing," she said, raising an eyebrow as she glanced at Vegeta, who was scowling at her. "What? Do you remember every little thing doctors put in _your_ body?"

"Of course I do… it's my _body!_ " Vegeta said, incredulously.

Bulma shrugged. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter now… human technology seems to be no match for Saiyan genetics," she said with a wry smile, which caused Vegeta's expression to turn from exasperated to merely smug. She looked down at her arm. "Uh… Turles? When's this thing gonna be done? I need to get back to work…"

" _You_ are going home to eat and rest. No more work for you until you can go for at least a week without passing out!" King Vegeta said, glaring at her.

Bulma returned the glare. "I can't go that long without working, any more than you can go that long without training!" she retorted. "What are you going to do, give up your duties as king, not to mention _training_ , to watch me every minute of the day?" she taunted.

"Sire…" Tanmen said, stepping forward. King Vegeta glanced her way. "I'll keep an eye on her. I won't leave her side, and I'll make sure she follows the doctor's orders," she said evenly.

"What? Look, guys, I'm not a child…" Bulma protested, but was interrupted by Vegeta, who was looking straight at Tanmen.

"Do you think you have what it takes to stand up to her?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

"I won't let anything bad happen to her, or her cub, I swear it," Tanmen said, her voice calm, but rock-like determination in her eyes. Turles froze, watching what happened next very closely.

"Look, I can take care of myself!" Bulma protested, but neither Vegeta nor Tanmen were listening to her. After a long moment, Vegeta spoke.

"Your life for hers, then… _royal guard_ ," he said, and turned his gaze to Bulma. "Do everything she tells you to. I'm authorizing her to use whatever force necessary to get you to comply. I will not hear that you have passed out again because you refuse to take care of yourself!" he growled, and turned and left with a flutter of his cape.

Tanmen blinked. "Um… what just happened?" she asked.

"You just became Queen Bulma's Royal Guard," Turles said, shaking his head. "Shoulda just let _him_ deal with it… _stupid humans_ ," he muttered as he went back to his computer console.

"My life… for hers? Does that mean…?" Tanmen asked, but Bulma interrupted her.

"It _means_ my husband's an arrogant prick, who thinks he can take whatever he wants. You don't have to be my royal guard, Tanmen, Vegeta's just being stupid," Bulma said, scowling.

Tanmen scowled back. " _No_. He's right. You need someone who will be with you every minute of the day, and keep you from hurting yourself or the cub. And if I have to stake my life on it, then so be it. I'd be honored to be your royal guard," she said bravely.

Bulma sighed. "I don't suppose you'll let me break the rules, then? Even a little?" she asked, knowing full well what the answer would be.

Tanmen raised an eyebrow. "I thought you knew me, Bulma," she said, crossing her arms.

"I do…" Bulma said, groaning as she covered her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm never getting out of this, am I?" she asked plaintively.

Tanmen smiled sweetly. "Not even a little."

 **A/N: Okay, hope you guys enjoyed that! When will the actual fighting happen, you ask? Why, in the next chapter! The Tournament will begin (FINALLY), and we will have our first preliminary round!**

 **Now, for those of you who haven't been fidgeting while reading this, waiting for the actual fighting to begin, and are more interested in the back story… I'm sure you all have questions. What will happen to Maca? Is Twelve going to become a mutant? What will happen if Tienshinhan faces his former students in the Tournament? If Turles isn't in the dome with Ruta anymore, then where's Ruta? And, most importantly… will Tanmen tell Bulma that she finally popped the question to Prince Tarble? (hehe… in case you guys thought I dropped my girl card or something) Yes, all of those questions will be answered, too.**

 **Stay tuned for the next episode of Dragonball ASF!**


	13. The Tournament, Part 4

Reaper wiped blood from his lip, glaring at his opponent. Dirt and sweat stung his eyes as he gasped for breath. Across the arena, the flashy mercenary with the red mohawk was equally out of breath; despite this he still smirked at him, his black eyes watching Reaper's every movement. The tall, lanky teenager glared at the cocky, arrogant son-of-a-bitch who sired him, death and loathing in his own dark eyes. Reaper's fury for the man brought renewed strength to his weary muscles, and he stood a little taller as he marshalled together every bit of energy he could.

Sensing the tension in the air, Korn's smirk grew as he prepared himself for the hybrid's next attack…

Across the arena, three girls exited the underground baths and leaned against the wall, watching the fight. "Yeah… do you think they know the Tournament isn't until tomorrow?" Olive asked, pushing a strand of wet hair back into one of her pigtails as the air shook with the impact of Reaper's fist against Korn's palm.

Ruta raised an eyebrow, still wringing water out of her long, spiky hair. "You really _were_ sheltered in that place," she said to her and Sadala's new friend. "We're Saiyans. Only difference between a Tournament and any other day, is that during a Tournament, someone keeps score," she said with a shrug. She cast a glance at Sadala. "And you're _sure_ Maca's gonna be okay out there?" she said, earning an eye roll from both girls.

"You've only asked her fifteen times already!" Olive exclaimed. "Didn't your brother say she'd come back when she came back?"

Ruta growled. "Maca's not just wandering," she said, scowling. "She's… not a typical cub," she sighed, glancing away.

Sadala shot Ruta a sideways glance. "Maca's fate is far better than yours," the horned girl said, ignoring the water that still dripped from her braids and onto her robes.

It was Ruta's turn to roll her eyes. "Are you _still_ on that, Sadala? For the last time, I am _not_ cursed! Besides, you told me the future changed, that my fate was better, now," she reasoned, raising her energy a little, to dry off.

Olive blinked. "Okay, I'm lost again. What do you mean, cursed?" she asked.

Ruta smirked. "Sadala's convinced I'm cursed, that I'm going to die broken and alone at the hands of a horrifying monster, without ever mating or bearing children," she said, shaking her head.

Olive giggled. "So… she's superstitious?" she asked, earning a cold look from Sadala which gave her the creeps.

Ruta gave Olive a hard look. "Sadala's not to be underestimated. Her powers are the real thing, and her predictions are not to be taken lightly," she said.

Olive blinked at that. "But… _you're_ taking them lightly," she said, glancing between the two girls.

Ruta smirked again. "There's a difference between disregarding danger… and refusing to let it get you," she said, and raised an eyebrow at Sadala. "Whatever horrible monster you see killing me, will have to be _pretty damn strong_ , because the second I see its ugly face, I'm going straight for the throat," she said, punching her fist into her other hand.

"That is no longer your fate," Sadala said in her soft voice, her expression bored as she turned to watch the fighters. Reaper had slammed Korn's face into the ground, grabbing him by the mohawk, but Korn had gotten out of the hold by contorting his body in a way that reminded her of the Delphos exotic dancers of long ago…

Ruta's eyes widened at her proclamation. "Okay… then what is it now?" Ruta asked, only the slightest tremor in her voice betraying that she feared what Sadala would say.

Sadala was silent for a long moment, before she spoke. "An apple of gold will guide you to happiness… but only after you have lost everything," Sadala said, never taking her eyes off the fighters.

Ruta blinked, staring at her. "An apple of… _Sadala_. Why are your predictions always in the form of riddles?!" she asked, frowning.

"To keep idiots from profiting from them," Sadala replied evenly, a hint of a smirk on her face. She looked like she might say more, but suddenly, she turned her head to stare at a human across the arena. He was tall, and wore a dusty brown cloak, which covered his face.

"Oh, god, it's _that_ guy. Don't humans bathe?" Ruta asked, wrinkling her nose. The man stunk to high heaven, and didn't even seem to notice. Since he started hanging around, most of the Saiyans kept their distance from him. "Kaka told me a story once of a guy who tried to win one of the human's Tournaments by being so disgusting, no fighter wanted to touch him. I'll bet that guy's going for the same gimmick," Ruta said.

"He's fighting?" Olive asked, eyebrow raised. "No wonder he's always hanging around… probably studying everyone's moves before the Tournament. I hope _I_ don't have to fight him," she said, grimacing.

Ruta smirked. "You know… we could do _everyone_ a favor…" she said, an evil twinkle in her eye. "Let's pull some water from the baths and soak him," she said conspiratorially.

Olive grinned. "Oh, yeah… _that'll_ be fun!" she said, getting excited.

" _No_ ," Sadala said, the finality in her tone causing both girls to look at her strangely.

Ruta frowned. "Since when do _you_ care about this stuff?" she asked. She had fully expected Sadala not to join… she hadn't expected her to be against it in the first place.

Sadala turned her silver, almond-shaped eyes to Ruta. "Whatever you do, leave that man alone. Everything depends on it," she said, her soft voice intense. Both girls stared at her, eyes wide.

After a long moment of silence, Ruta blinked. "Okay, fine, Sadala. But that means _you_ have to use your powers to find my sister," she said, crossing her arms.

Sadala sighed. "I told you, her fate-"

"Is better than mine," Ruta interrupted, rolling her eyes. "Don't care. I haven't seen her in forever, I'm worried, we're getting her. Or, I try to distract myself from my worry by soaking Mr. Rancid over there. Your choice," she said, scowling.

Sadala cast another glance at the man in the brown cloak, then sighed, pulling a mirror out of a pocket in her robes. She glanced at Ruta, who bit her thumb, drawing blood, and squeezed a drop of it onto the mirror in Sadala's outstretched hand, as Olive looked on with fascination. With an approving nod, Sadala then gazed at the drop of blood on the mirror, her silver eyes beginning to glow…

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Twelve walked into the tent to tend to the human Maca had found, only to find the young cub sleeping snuggled up next to the man, her tail wrapped around the man's leg, with the man's arm draped protectively around her. It would have been an endearing scene, if Twelve didn't know Maca was perfectly capable of eating the man alive in his sleep. Concerned, Twelve reached out to gently pick her up, when the man's hand gripped his wrist. Eyes wide, Twelve turned his gaze to the man, who opened one eye to look at him. "Let my sister sleep," the man said, his throat dry.

Twelve blinked. "Uh… sir? What…"

Maca's heavy eyelids opened a crack, gazing at him for a long moment. "Sister?" she murmured, extreme fatigue being the only thing keeping her eyes mostly closed. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Wait… you're not…"

The human smirked down at her. "Yup," he said wearily. "That guy came up when I was sleepin' and switched bodies with me. You saved my life," he said, looking down at her.

Maca blinked, her sleepy mind struggling to grasp such a concept. "Kakarot!" she exclaimed. "I almost ate you," she said, blinking.

The human smiled. "But you didn't," he said, eyebrow raised.

Maca sighed, and snuggled against him. "Could eat you now. Really hungry," she said, yawning.

Kakarot reached up and stroked her hair. "So am I," he chuckled wearily.

Twelve reached over for a bowl of soup he had made for the human last night. "Here, this is a bit cold, but it might help…" he said, gently spooning some of it into the man's mouth.

Kakarot sipped the soup gratefully. "Thanks, Yamcha," he said, when Twelve had fed him the entire bowl.

Twelve blinked at that. "You remember me?" he asked.

"Of course I do. You and Bulma were my first friends. You guys gave me your wish… it's the reason I got my family back, my _people_ back. How could I forget ya?" he asked incredulously.

Twelve smiled. "So… you really _are_ Kakarot," he said, thinking quickly. "Did you say that someone switched bodies with you?" he asked.

Kakarot nodded. "Yeah… can't forget something like that… being beaten up by _yourself_ is no fun… especially when you're _me,_ " he groaned.

"Scared the crap out of Gohan," Maca said sleepily, earning a glance from Kakarot. "That's why I came… to find out why. You don't make any sense to me sometimes, Kaka, but at least I know you'd never freak out Gohan like that on purpose," she said.

Kakarot's eyes widened. "Gohan! Is he okay?" he asked worriedly.

"He's with Launch," Maca said sleepily. She forced herself to sit up, and leveled a gaze at Kakarot. "You gotta get back there, though. That guy in your skin's an even bigger asshole than you. He's probably gunnin' for-"

"King Vegeta," Kakarot said in realization, forcing himself to sit up, too. The room spun for a moment, and he took a few steadying breaths until it stopped. "I need to get back to the Ox Kingdom!"

Twelve frowned. "Tien and Chiaotzu took the only vehicle we had. To be honest, I really didn't think I'd be leaving this camp," he said, looking around. "I might have enough energy to fly with one of you, but not both…" he said, grimacing.

"Take Kakarot," Maca said, yawning. "I'll just take a nap here…"

Kakarot gave her a glance, then shook his head, turning to Twelve. "Yamcha, can you fly ahead, and warn King Vegeta? Maca and I will travel on foot," he said.

Twelve nodded. "Yeah, I can do that," he said, then hesitated. "Uh… Kakarot… if you guys plan to leave, you might want to hurry. If Tien and the others get back first… they aren't exactly fans of the Saiyans," he said, looking down.

Kakarot sighed. "I see. Don't worry, we'll be out of here in no time. Just warn King Vegeta. Please, Yamcha," he said earnestly.

"I will," Twelve said, and left the tent, taking to the air.

When he was gone, Kakarot said in a quiet voice, "You wanted me to go with him, so you could feed."

Maca looked away. "Didn't think you'd wanna watch," she said, scowling at the floor. With a sigh, she began to slide off the cot, knowing this conversation wasn't going to end well.

Suddenly pain blossomed from the end of her tail, causing her to cry out, and Maca's limbs failed her, as did the last of her energy. Were it not for Kakarot's grip on the end of her tail, she would have fallen to the floor. As it was, Kakarot lifted her back up to the cot, but did not loosen his grip. "K-kaka!" she gasped, trying desperately to free her tail, but her body was unable to move.

"I know how you feel, Maca," Kakarot said, ignoring her helpless whimpering. "Being too strong for the people around you, I mean. When I was a cub, I was sent here to purge this planet. A kind old human found me and took me in, and raised me as his own," he told her.

"Kaka…. please…." Maca begged, but Kakarot continued as though she said nothing.

"Then one night, the moon was full, and I looked up into it. I… I crushed him to death," he said, scowling. Maca cried out as his fist tightened around her tail. "Later, King Vegeta told me that, if he had really cared about me, he would have just stood back, and watched me from afar, and watched what I could do," he said.

"Then let me go! Please, Kaka… I'll go far away, I'll-"

"He was wrong," Kakarot said, turning his gaze to Maca's pain-filled face. "If Grandpa Gohan had done that, if he'd just stood back, and watched me from afar… he woulda watched me kill everyone on the planet, himself included," he said, shame in his eyes. "I'm not the good man my Grandpa was, Maca. If I was, I'd do my best to try to treat you like a Saiyan, to help you resist your urge to eat people. But I got a cub, and a king, and a planet to protect. And this ain't somethin' you can just turn off. Dr. Gero saw to that," he said, swallowing past his deep hatred for the long-dead human scientist.

Maca gasped in pain, but held his gaze. "So… you're gonna… kill me?" she asked, mentally cursing herself for not eating the man she'd found in the woods when she had the chance.

"I have no choice, Maca," Kakarot said sadly.

Maca scowled at him. "Of course you do! You can choose not to do it!" she insisted, the pain causing red spots to appear in her vision.

Kakarot reached over with his other hand and gently stroked her hair. "I'll make it quick, Maca. You won't suffer," he promised.

Maca glared. "You're a monster," she hissed at him.

Kakarot nodded softly. "Yeah, I know," he said. Suddenly, in a matter of seconds, he released her tail…

… and snapped her neck.

Maca's eyes stared up, lifelessly, and Kakarot slowly eased himself off the cot. Reaching down, he gently stroked her spiky hair one last time. "Goodbye, Maca," he said softly, and turned away, slowly making his way out of the tent.

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Matou's kitchen had been expanded into the mess hall, as three old women from the Ox Kingdom, and two restaurant owners from East City, hovered over portable grills and burners, with the long tables being converted into counter tops for their work. In the kitchen itself, Baga and his friend Heaven were cooking up a storm. Which was just as well, because though the humans he had found were skilled well enough, they were _slow_ , and didn't seem to get the concept of the mass quantities of food they would need for the Tournament, so Matou was constantly having to delegate, spur on, and otherwise baby-sit them to make sure the whole thing wasn't a disaster.

Glancing out of the kitchen into the mess hall during one of Matou's shouting matches with a human restaurant owner, Baga smirked and cast a glance at Heaven. "Bet you 100 zenni that Matou ends up cooking that guy and serving him at the Tournament," he quipped as he turned his attention back to the three large pots he had bubbling over the fire.

Heaven giggled lightly, expertly kneading large ball of dough. "Chef Ramy's big enough, he'd probably feed a family of ten. Or, at least fill up one Saiyan," she joked back. She quickly patted the dough into a loaf, covered it with oil, and began preparing another. Beside her she had a towering stack of loaf pans that were now all full. "OVEN!" she called out, as she'd been instructed by Matou.

The arguing in the mess hall stopped, Matou appeared behind her, taking in the tower, and smirked. "That's more like it," he said. Holding out his hands, he summoned energy into them, and began applying heat, first to the bottom ones, then working his way up. They didn't have nearly enough ovens to cook everything they needed, so Matou had been using his energy to do much of the work that would otherwise have tied up the ovens they did have. He didn't trust anyone else to do it, not even Baga… though the boy was a great cook in his own right, he didn't have the control over his energy that Matou did.

Heaven had wasted no time, and began preparing more dough, knowing Matou's method of baking loaves would take a much shorter time than they would take to bake in the oven, with this method. "Matou… when all this is over… can you teach me how to do that?" she asked, in her small, gentle voice.

Matou cast her a glance, then grunted. "You're too weak to use your energy properly for this," he said bluntly.

Heaven scowled at that. "I'm not as weak as you think. I'll be fighting in the Tournament, you know," she said as she kneaded the dough, ignoring Baga's glance.

Matou chuckled at that. "So will every fool in the Ox Kingdom, it seems," he said, earning a wince from the girl, who looked away. He sighed, reminding himself he wasn't talking to a Saiyan. "Look, kid. Prove you can hold your own in the Tournament, and I'll consider it. But I'm busy, so you need to do most of the hard work on your own. Got it?" he asked.

Heaven's eyes lit up, she flashed him a wide grin. "I'll do that and more!" she said excitedly, and returned her attention to the dough, determined to exceed the Saiyans expectations of her.

Matou grunted at that, and caught Baga stealing a glance at her. Matou blinked. At Baga's age, he shouldn't be thinking about _that_ yet. The boy was too mature for his own good. Losing both of his parents had caused him to grow up quickly, and Matou knew watching his sister kill their mother had shattered the boy's perceptions of a cub's role in life. If their father hadn't died in battle soon after, Matou knew he'd eventually have either reverted to a normal cub's mindset, or started butting heads with Bardock. As it was, only the boy's physical weakness kept him in his place half the time. Had he been born strong, like his nephew Beet, he'd have been a force to be reckoned with.

As good as his weakness was for building character, though, it was something Matou felt directly responsible for, and something that caused friction between himself and the cub's oldest brother, Raditz. If Raditz hadn't taken over Baga's training personally, Matou would have taken the boy in hand to train; however, the older Saiyan knew not to step into Raditz's place. He did his best to encourage Baga when it came to strength, but it was only Saiyan posturing without actions to back it up, and the boy had the right mindset already, for the most part; he wanted to be the best, like any other Saiyan his age.

But… maybe Matou knew a bit more about motivating the boy than his brother Raditz, after all… he at least owed it to the man, to try. When he was almost done baking the loaves, he cast a glance at the girl. "Human, I have one more condition, before I will agree to train you," he said, causing the girl to glance up at him, eyes wide. He continued. "Baga's my apprentice, and I haven't taught him this yet. It isn't right to teach a newcomer something I haven't taught my own apprentice," he said, casting a glance at Baga, who was looking at him strangely. Matou turned his eyes back to the loaves. "If Baga can master this, then I'll teach you. If he can't, I'll know I'm incapable of teaching it, that's all," he said with a shrug.

Heaven's face fell a little, but she nodded. "Of course, Matou. I wouldn't ask you to forget your own apprentice," she said, and flashed a smile at Baga. "Besides, I'm sure Baga will pick it up quickly. Right, Baga?" she asked brightly.

Baga narrowed his eyes at Matou. "Clever," he said, earning a smirk from Matou. He looked at Heaven. "Don't worry… I'll have it down in no time," he said, and turned back to his cooking, grumbling to himself about how he already had _enough_ to do…

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Twelve flew through the air towards the Ox Kingdom, taking care not to use up his still limited supply of energy, when he felt a familiar tingling sensation. He stopped, looking around. "Maca?" he asked, wondering if she had somehow regained enough energy to follow him.

"Not quite," a voice said, and Twelve quickly turned to see a short, purple being hovering in the air in front of him, wearing long yellow coat, a comically large green hat… and a very familiar red ribbon bowtie. Beside him was a tall, silver-skinned man, with a bare chest, a long, black braid, and the same red ribbon on his belt buckle.

Twelve narrowed his eyes, calculating his options. "You're androids, aren't you?" he said more than asked.

The short purple one with the sunglasses smirked at that. "We are. I'm Android 15, this is Android 14. You're Android 12. Looks like we've almost got a complete set," he said, taking a flask out of his pocket and unstopping the lid to take a drink.

Twelve frowned at that. "I'm not joining you. Maybe you haven't heard, but Dr. Gero is dead," he said, wondering where these new androids had come from.

Android 15 sighed in contentment as he replaced his flask, wiping droplets of water from his lips. "Wrong on both counts, Twelve," he said, and in a flash, Android 14 had grabbed him from behind, wrenching his arms behind him. Twelve struggled to get out of his grasp, but he didn't have enough energy, it was like a paper doll fighting a stone statue. Android 15 flew towards him slowly, holding up a small device between his thumb and forefinger.

"What… what is that?" Twelve asked, a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Android 15 smirked. "Dr. Gero made it, just for you, Twelve. She said you managed to alter your programming so you wouldn't have to follow orders anymore," he said.

"She?" Twelve asked, in confusion.

"This device contains updated files we're going to download into your brain. Should overwrite your defective programming," Android 15 continued, as if Twelve hadn't spoken.

Twelve's eyes widened in horror. "What about my memory files? My memories of being Yamcha?" he asked, as Android 15 came closer.

Android 15 paused, cocking his head slightly, the motion seeming more extreme with the large size of his green hat. "Dr. Gero wishes to study those, the files will be saved and closed. You won't use those anymore," he said, reaching out to attach the device to Twelve's right temple.

Twelve struggled. "No… please…. you'll… you'll re-write who I am, I won't be _me_ anymore!" he pleaded desperately.

Android 15 paused for a moment, then said, in a sad voice, "In another few seconds, you won't care anymore, anyway." Then Twelve felt metal pierce through his temple, as the device dug into his brain, and-

Android 12 stopped struggling, and Android 14 let him go. Android 15 gazed at him for a long moment, then said, "Identify yourself."

"I am Android 12," he replied automatically.

"And who do you take orders from?" Android 15 asked.

"Dr. Gero," Android 12 replied.

Android 14 nodded in approval, but Android 15 hesitated. "Android 12. Who is Yamcha?" he asked. He had to be sure.

Android 12's eyes moved back and forth for a few moments, before he responded. "Data not found."

Android 15 gave an approving smirk. "Dr. Gero wants you to return to base. Your new programming contains the coordinates. We're going after Android 13," he said.

"Understood," Android 12 said, and flew off towards East City.

"He's one of us now?" Android 14 asked.

"Yes," Android 15 replied.

"Will Dr. Gero over-write our personalities?" Android 14 asked.

Android 15 cast him a look. "Not if we continue to perform optimally," he replied.

Android 14 blinked at that. "Let's continue our mission," he said, a sense of urgency in his voice.

Android 15 smirked. "My thoughts exactly," he replied, and the two of them flew off in the opposite direction.

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Ruta and Olive flew through the air, stopping at a large pole shooting up out of the ground. "Thought so," Ruta said as she regarded it, looking it up and down.

Olive blinked at it in awe. "What is it?" she asked, never having seen anything like it.

"Well, up at the top, that's the Lookout of the Guardians. Papa… before he died, he took me and my brother and cousin up there, and we spent five years inside a strange white room, just trainin'," Ruta said, sighing wistfully. She turned her eyes to ground below. "And down there, is where Sadala said to start looking," she said, pointing.

Olive blinked at that. "I don't know, Ruta… no offense, but Sadala seems a bit off her rocker. Who ever heard of turtles living in tents?" she said, frowning.

Ruta began to fly down toward the base of the pole, and glanced at Olive as the hybrid girl sped to keep up. "Sadala isn't crazy, Olive. If you make one friend in this place, make a friend of Sadala. Everyone underestimates her, and that's just the way she likes it. The truth is, she's got an old soul," she said, as their feet landed on the ground beneath the cover of trees. They looked around. "It's gotta be around here, somewhere," she said.

"What do you mean, an old-" Olive stopped suddenly, as did Ruta, and their eyes went to the source of sound… two children arguing with each other from behind the trees.

"What do you mean, I got us lost?! You're the one who said we'd be fine out here by ourselves!" a young blonde girl said, glaring at the young black-haired boy beside her.

The boy scowled. "You're the one who thought she saw someone in the trees," he accused as they came within full view of the two Saiyan girls. They suddenly stopped, staring at the Saiyans. The twins shared a quick glance, then they split up, each running in different directions.

"… Should we follow them?" Olive asked, cocking her head in confusion.

Ruta blinked. "I guess so. Maybe they've seen the turtles?" she said with a shrug. The two of them quickly seemed to disappear, then just as quickly met each other in the air above the trees, each with a very frightened human struggling to get free from their grip.

Not letting loose her hold on the dark-haired boy, Ruta spoke. "Calm down, we're not gonna hurt you. We just wanna know if you've seen some turtles around here," she said, rolling her eyes as the boy tried to kick her. He was about her height, but in the air, the Saiyan girls had the advantage.

"Lapis," the blonde girl hissed, causing the boy to stop and look at her. She raised an eyebrow, and glanced down at the ground meaningfully.

"You're friend's right, kid," Ruta said, earning a scowl from the girl. "Struggle too much, and I'll drop ya. Turtles. Have you seen any?" she demanded.

"What do we look like, wildlife experts?" the boy asked incredulously. He really didn't like being this high up… not without something underneath him, like a hoverbike.

"Oh my god, this is so stupid. No, we haven't seen any turtles. Try the ocean. Now put us down, please," the blonde girl said, rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms.

"These turtles are supposed to be living in tents, not the ocean," Olive clarified, causing both the twins' eyes to widen, and to glance at each other again. "So, you have seen them," she said, smirking in triumph.

"No…" the boy said, glancing at his sister once more. "But… we were looking for some tents," he said. He shot a glance at Olive. "And one of the guys who lives there wears a big turtle shell on his back."

Ruta and Olive exchanged looks, and Ruta nodded. "Ok, we'll go look together," she said, and slowly the two girls lowered them gently to the ground below. Once they all had their feet again, Ruta crossed her arms. "I'm Ruta, by the way, this is Olive. Sorry to scare you, but you humans never give us the chance to talk, you're always too busy running away," she said, rolling her eyes.

"You just threatened to drop us from fifty feet in the air. Why wouldn't we run away?" the girl pointed out, scowling.

The boy raised an eyebrow. "You'll have to excuse my sister, she's not really a people person," he said, holding out a hand. "I'm Lapis, this is Lazuli," he said, earning a scowl from the girl.

Ruta gripped his hand tightly, causing him to wince, before letting go. "Ok. So you said you were looking for the tents, too. Why?" she asked, frowning.

"We're meeting up with some friends," Lazuli provided. "Strong ones," she added, her eyes narrowed.

Ruta regarded her for a long moment. "Have we met somewhere before?" she asked, scowling. "You seem familiar."

The girl raised an eyebrow at her dubiously. "I think I'd remember meeting someone with hair like that," she said, looking her over disparagingly.

Ruta frowned at that, her hand touching the long mane of spiky hair behind her. "What's wrong with my hair?" she asked, looking almost hurt.

Olive gave her hair a critical eye. "I don't know, Ruta, it does look pretty wild," she supplied, earning a nod in agreement from Lazuli.

Lapis groaned. "I think I preferred being threatened to being bored to death," he said, shaking his head. "You girls can stand here and talk about hair all day, I'm gonna go look for those tents," he said, and began walking away.

The three girls gave each other a look, and followed him. Lazuli was scowling as she walked. Ruta glanced at Olive. "Does it really look that bad?" she asked softly.

"Well…," Olive said, biting her lip.

"Try shampoo," Lazuli said, casting her a look. "Or a large pair of scissors. Long hair is out of style, you know… bobs are much cooler," she said, pushing some of her short blonde hair behind her ear.

"You girls are killing me!" Lapis groaned plaintively.

Thankfully for Lapis, they didn't have far to walk before they found the cluster of tents. Ruta's nose twitched. "Maca… I smell her!" she said excitedly, and began to run towards one of the tents.

The sight that greeted her made her stop cold.

When the others caught up to see, Olive murmured, "Oh, shit. You guys should really run." The human twins made no move to do so, however, staring at Maca's body with looks of horror, her lifeless eyes staring straight ahead, her head bent at a weird angle.

Ruta's fists were clenched, and she was shaking as she took a step forward. "Sadala…. you lied…" she hissed, her teeth clenched as unforgiving rage began to build up within her…

"Target found," a man's voice said, and everyone but Ruta spun around to see a tall man with silver skin and a long, black braid step into the tent. To Olive's surprise, the two humans quickly moved to stand behind him.

"I told you that already," another voice said, as a short, purple skinned man stepped into the tent, wearing large sunglasses and an impossibly large green hat. With all the newcomers, Olive moved to stand with her back against Ruta's exposed back. Her friend seemed to still be reacting to the shock of losing her sister, and Olive knew from the power building up inside her that soon, this whole place would be a smoking crater.

"Fifteen," Lapis said nervously, biting his lip. "We were too late. She's…"

"Android 13's energy reserves are low. She seems to be unable to regenerate," the purple android interrupted, causing the children to glance back at the body on the cot.

Olive blinked at that. "What do you mean, regenerate?" she asked, her hair standing on end. Ruta was drawing even more power…

"She needs energy?" Lapis asked, cocking his head. "So, like, what, a battery or something?"

The purple android shook his head. "Android 13 needs to absorb a living being," he responded.

"My sister…" Ruta's voice said, almost a whisper, but the vehemence behind it captured everyone's attention, "is not an android!" Olive glanced back at her, and her eyes widened to see Ruta's long mane of black hair begin to flash yellow.

Seeing this was going to get ugly really quick, Lapis stepped forward, raising his hands. "Okay, okay. Sorry. Look, I think you're missing the important part. Your sister… this means she's alive! As in, not dead," he said, trying to calm down the suddenly much scarier Saiyan.

This caused Ruta to blink. "Not… dead…" she murmured, looking down at Maca's lifeless body. Reaching out with a shaking hand, she brushed her fingers across her sister's face. She was cold to the touch. Slowly, her tail uncurled from around her waist, and brushed against her sister's limp tail.

She gasped.

Olive noticed the change right away, all the power Ruta had been collecting had dissipated, and she was cradling Maca's limp form in her arms, her tail firmly wrapped around her sister's. "Maca, Maca, you're alive…" she said, holding her sister close, tears streaming down her face. She turned to the others, scowling. "She needs to eat," she said, looking them all over.

"That's what I said," Android 15 said, tilting his head slightly, the movement made more extreme by his large hat. "We'll take it from here," he said, stepping forward. Android 14 did as well. Lazuli and Lapis shared an incredulous glance, and Lapis placed his hand on his forehead.

"What Fifteen means, is," Lapis said, scowling at the purple android before turning back to Ruta, "we know what she needs. We can take good care of her," he supplied, not trying to start a fight when one was easily avoidable.

"No, I know what she needs," Ruta said, glaring at him. "I'm her big sister. I've been raising her since she was born. I've hunted for her, I've been feeding her since before she could crawl," she said.

"And we know what she is," Lazuli said, stepping forward. She met Ruta's glare head-on. "Look, we get it. You want to protect your sister. But, look at her. She's not being protected," she said, causing Ruta to wince. "If you know she eats people, then you know she isn't like you… that she's different. These androids know what she is, and how to help her, in ways you can't. If you really care about her, then you'll want her to get the best help she can get," she said, crossing her arms.

The two girls stared each other down for a long moment. "That's why you came here? To… to find her?" Ruta asked, regarding her suspiciously.

"Android 12 located her. We followed his signal," Android 15 supplied.

"This Android 12… did he do this to my sister?" Ruta demanded.

"He did not," Android 14 said, causing Ruta to glance up at the tall, silver-skinned android. "He was with us."

"According to the data files, the last time Android 12 saw Android 13, she was with a human male," Android 15 added.

Ruta scowled. "A… a human did this?!" she demanded.

"Probability, eighty-five percent," Android 15 responded.

"That means, most likely," Lapis said at Ruta's blank look.

Ruta looked down at Maca. Sighing, she laid her back down on the cot, her tail still firmly wrapped around her sister's limp one. She slowly began to untie the red strip of cloth from around her hand and wrist, that her father had tied there when her mother had died. "Maca… in our family, we give a red cloth to a cub when they become a warrior," she said, scowling. "You let a human break your neck, so don't go thinking it's a reward for your last battle," she said wryly, unwrapping the cloth from around her wrist. "Instead, think of it as a promise. A promise you make to yourself, to me, and to our mama, whose blood made this cloth red," she said, and tied it to her sister's right forearm, wrapping it tightly. "Her blood is in your veins, just like it's in mine. This is a promise that you'll never forgive, that you'll never forget," she said, scowling as she tied it tight. "You're gonna get better. You're gonna get stronger. You're gonna find out just who and what you are. And you're gonna come back and get revenge on whatever asshole did this to you. And when you do, you also gotta promise to come find me," she said, smirking. "I worry."

Maca did not move, but Ruta smiled. "Yeah… I know. Me, too," she said softly, and kissed her gently on the forehead, slowly unwrapping her tail from around Maca's. She then stepped back, Olive stepping back with her, and allowed Android 14 to gently scoop her up into his large arms. The two androids walked out of the tent, but before the two humans could follow, Ruta stepped forward, scowling, blocking their exit.

"Hey, what-" Lapis began, but Ruta cut him off.

"My sister. I don't trust those machines. I'm holding you two personally responsible for her well-being. If anything happens to her… and I mean anything, I will personally hunt you down and make you beg for death," she hissed, glaring at them. "I have your scent, don't think I can't find you," she warned them.

Lapis stammered, but Lazuli placed a hand on his chest, meeting Ruta's gaze. "Don't worry. We'll treat her like she's our own sister. Right, Lapis?" she asked.

Lapis nodded, eyes wide. "Yeah. It'll be fine. Hell, I'll even teach her how to play video games!" he said, grinning.

Ruta held their gaze for a long moment, then gave a single nod, stepping out of the way. The children left the tent, and disappeared with the androids, the silver one carrying the twins while the purple one carried Maca's still form.

Olive glanced at Ruta. "Whatcha gonna tell your brothers?" she asked. "If they go looking for her…"

Ruta bit her lip. "I'll tell them I found her dead," she said, and glanced around the camp. She didn't sense any other life signs. "There won't be anything left of this place to say otherwise," she said, and began to focus her rage at all that happened. This time, Olive wisely stayed out of the way, as Ruta summoned more energy than she'd ever seen Reaper do. She could feel it flooding the entire camp, and Olive flew back even further. Suddenly, with a tormented cry, Ruta brought up her hands, and the whole place exploded upward in a giant beam of light and massive amounts of energy.

When Olive's vision returned, all that was left of the small camp was a perfect circle of molten rock.

 **A/N: …...just kidding.**

 **ON TO THE TOURNAMENT!**

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King Vegeta watched the sun rise on the horizon, standing on a cliff that overlooked the plains the Ox Kingdom was entrenched within. The way the sun glinted off the obsidian structures was quite something; Raditz had done a good job.

His castle was… _stifling_. His mate was pregnant, a fact that filled him with pride, but which made her as impossible to be around as it would have made a Saiyan woman. Thankfully that girl Tanmen had taken up the position as her guard… it meant Vegeta didn't have to be around her. Truthfully, if they weren't still in the middle of repairs on the ship they acquired in the battle with Frieza, he'd be in space right now, staking his claim on what Frieza had left behind.

Not that Cooler would allow much of that. Vegeta was not fool enough to believe Cooler would stick to his corner of the galaxy, now that his brother was out of the picture. The very thought of it brought a smirk to his face. _Just wait, Cooler…_ Vegeta thought to himself. _Soon it will be your turn to join your brother in hell…_

But for now, he needed an army. He needed his people, to be strong, to be ready, to be… well, _more_. That was why he was holding this Tournament. To test them, to make them test themselves, to see what this planet had to offer, to make them see what _he_ had to offer. Saiyans were forged through battle, and right now, they were mere remnants, holding strong, but not nearly what they _could_ be.

And they needed to be all they could be, if they were to go against Cooler.

Kakarot was nowhere to be seen, though Vegeta had noticed the buffoon had been cold and distant lately, and news of his sister's death reaching the kingdom yesterday had most likely spurred the man to go hunting for her killer, even though the girl's sister had claimed rights to vengeance. Vegeta tried to stay out of Kakarot's personal life as much as possible, but it always seemed to find a way to become Vegeta's problem eventually. Not that such an occurrence would change anything… a Saiyan dying in battle was not news. The fact that she'd died to a _human_ was an embarrassment, but the girl had been weakened due to her condition, so he doubted Kakarot's family would receive much trouble over it from the others. Not that anyone ever tried to give _Kakarot_ trouble.

Vegeta groaned to himself. He was thinking about his royal guard again. It made no sense, the royal guard's job was to be there, but out of the way; a silent weapon and armor, always at the king's disposal, but easily ignored when not needed. So why, when he was absent, had he taken over the king's thoughts lately?

Something was just… _off_ concerning him.. _._

Shaking his head to clear away such thoughts, Vegeta turned his attention to the wagons that began to find their way out of the giant crater that was the Ox Kingdom, and out into the fields. Cultivating grains and vegetables, collecting things like milk and wool and eggs from the various animals of this planet. According to Tarble, it was the lack of such industry that had impoverished their people to the point where they needed someone like Frieza. Doing such things, day in and day out, it went against a Saiyan's very nature… yet, these humans didn't balk at such chores; in fact, they seemed more than content to build their lives around them. Raditz had been right… the Saiyans _needed_ the Humans. Saiyans knew only how to conquer and consume, with few exceptions. Frieza had exploited them, turned them into his own personal army, and when he found them tiresome, he merely disposed of them. Vegeta refused to become what Frieza had been… it was why he had not killed the Ox King and taken his people for his own. Why he had formed an… _alliance_ … though the thought of allying with weaker beings grated on his senses. And, the truth was, of all the humans they've encountered on this planet, the Ox Kingdom seemed to contain the only ones with any kind of character. Perhaps it was the Ox King himself, who inspired such character from his people?

Better _this_ , a sometimes annoying alliance with the weaker species, than keeping the race as mere slaves.

Besides, the Ox King continued to surprise him at every turn. Vegeta had created this Tournament, mostly as an attempt to truly see the depths of the hybrids' power… but the Ox King had managed to use it to motivate his own people. It seemed the Ox King wished to prove that, while humans were not as strong as Saiyans, they could still fight, they still had pride. And given the rate with which his people were breeding with the humans, it seemed that one day, there _would_ be no separation of their species.

Provided Saiyan/Human hybrids did not prove to be too weak in the Tournament. If they were… then Vegeta might be forced to relocate his people, in an attempt to save them from breeding themselves to mediocrity. Such a thing would be tantamount to a slow death for the proud Saiyan race, and Vegeta would not allow his people to die out like _that._ There were far better ways to go extinct.

With such heavy thoughts, the Saiyan King watched the Ox Kingdom prepare itself for its greatest test yet…

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Maaya and Tasha stood in the arena, surrounded by two hundred other contenders. There was standing room only, and while the arena was pretty large, it felt much smaller with this many people. In the stands, they could see the four children they brought with them; they were eating pastries and rooting them on. Maaya smiled, and cast a glance at Tasha. "This is exciting!" she said to her friend over the din.

"This is impossible," Tasha replied. "How are we supposed to fight each other, here? You can't even take a step without stepping on someone!" she said, and rubbed her hand. "And I still don't like the idea of them putting microchips under our skin," she grumbled.

"It's for tracking the fights when you're small," another voice said, and the girls looked over to see the Saiyan woman they had encountered when they first came here. Their eyes went wide as Meron looked down at them. "I am pleased to see you've returned. I trust you've been training since we last met?" she asked them, eyebrow raised.

Both the girls gave a determined nod, and Tasha smirked. "We're a lot stronger than we were last time," she boasted.

Meron gave a satisfied smirk. "Good. I hope to face you in combat, then. See that you do not fail the first round of preliminaries. If either of you loses to another human, who is not wearing a red sleeve, then I want nothing more to do with you," she warned them, and made her way through the crowd, which naturally parted for her.

The girls gave each other a wide-eyed glance. "Well… guess we'd better not lose the preliminaries," Maaya said, blinking.

Tasha grinned. "Don't worry… we won't," she said bravely, punching her fist into her other palm. "We're gonna show them what Turtle school students can _really_ do!"

Just then the sky above them shimmered, and a woman's face appeared above them, her blue hair curled in such a way that it framed her face, and she smiled. "Welcome contenders, to the first ever Saiyan Tournament! Your host, King Vegeta, would probably greet you, but he considers himself above such things and refuses to even join the Preliminaries," she said, rolling her eyes. Various chuckles could be heard, and Maaya had a feeling those chuckles were coming from Saiyans; she didn't think the humans would be brave enough to laugh at the Saiyan King. "At any rate, he'll be joining in during the Semifinals. As you can see, there are more contenders than we have room. Thankfully, there's _me,_ " she said, and suddenly, the arena around them… including the stands and the people sitting in them… began to get much larger. "The microchips you've all been implanted with contain miniaturization technology, as well as tracking software, that will allow everyone in the stands to watch your fights. Each microchip is embedded with proximity locators, and contains a code that corresponds to one other person's microchip. If the chip in your hand puts off a green light, that means you're standing close to the person you're supposed to fight. I shouldn't have to say this, but killing your opponent is _not allowed!_ If you kill your opponent, get knocked out, or fight the _wrong_ opponent, you will automatically be disqualified," the blue-haired woman said.  
"Now… let the Preliminaries begin!"

The arena was now much larger, and people began to disperse a bit, to thin out the crowd, and Maaya and Tasha glanced at each other worriedly. Tasha looked at her hand, then smiled. "Good… we don't have to fight each other. I was worried one of us would have to knock the other one out during the first round," she said, somewhat relieved.

Maaya glanced down at her hand. Hers wasn't lit up, either. "I guess we'd better go find our opponents," she said, looking around.

Just then, another girl, her hair up in two buns, with a red sleeve on one arm, came up to them. She was accompanied by a young Saiyan who looked the same age, wearing green battle armor, and with a black cloth tied around his eyes. The girl smiled at them, but didn't seem to look at them. "Excuse us… would either of you mind telling us if our microchips look green?" she asked, holding up her hand. The boy held his up, too.

Maaya blinked. "You two are blind?" she asked, surprised. "And you joined the Tournament?"

The Saiyan boy smirked at that. "We don't need our eyes to fight," he said, scowling.

"Unfortunately, it seems we do need them to tell if something has a green light on it," the girl added, wryly.

Tasha blinked at that. "Well, you guys are clear, no lights. Need us to help you find your opponents?" she offered.

"Nah, I'm sure our opponents will start attacking us any moment," the boy said, smirking.

"We just wanted to make sure we weren't _each other's_ opponents… that would have been embarrassing," the girl said with a laugh.

Maaya grinned at that. "Well, good luck to you in the Tournament!" she called after them as they turned away. She glanced at Tasha, a spark in her eyes. "Come on… let's go find out who we're fighting!"

Not far away, a man in a dusty brown cloak ignored the crowd around him, his eyes only on Kakarot. He knew his chip would not light up when he approached the man… it wasn't time for Sammy Black to fight against Kakarot yet. They would have their match soon enough, though…

 **A/N: Okay, guys… more of the tournament to come, from here on out, it's just fight scenes, so… bear with me. ;) Hope you all enjoy!**


	14. The Tournament, Part 5

**A/N: Ok, readers, I've been asked to make a guide to help keep everyone straight with all of these original characters. The beginning of this is a short summary of who's who, but if you scroll down, then the fighting will commence! This list is in no particular order… I mean, I started out having an order, but then… yeah. So don't get offended by your character's place in the list, just wrote them down as I remembered them.**

 **King Vegeta – Saiyan king, the man we know as Prince Vegeta in canon.**

 **Queen Bulma – His mate, also a world-class genius. Lost her family and entire city. Recently pregnant.**

 **Prince Tarble – Saiyan prince, we see him in Dragon Ball Super. Extremely loyal, practically worships his older brother. He's not very strong for a Saiyan, but he's getting better. He's certainly brave enough for one. Recently taken Tanmen as a mate, though they haven't… er… practiced** _ **making cubs**_ **yet…**

 **Tanmen – Prince Tarble's mate, also Queen Bulma's Royal Guard, due to a whirlwind of events that occurred two chapters ago. Dragon Ball fans will remember Tanmen from the episode where Goku first runs into Tienshinhan and Chiaotzu, before the Tournament. In that episode, they had trained a wild creature named InoShikaCho to attack random villages, then would show up, claiming they could stop the creature, for a price. In the canon, Tanmen's village had been one of their victims, and Goku had saved the day. In this story, it was Gine and the Earth Defense Squad who had come; InoShikaCho had become the main course in a feast, and Tanmen had joined the Earth Defense Squad. Tanmen is a stickler for rules, and hates any kind of injustice.**

 **Kakarot – Main character, known as Goku in the canon, King Vegeta's Royal Guard. You all know who he is, I hope…**

 **Gohan – Kakarot's son, still a small cub, just learning to walk.**

 **Raditz – Kakarot's older brother. Surprisingly skilled in architecture, built the Ox Kingdom, including the Arena which houses King Vegeta's castle on one side, and the Ox King's castle on the other.**

 **Launch – Raditz's mate, member of the Earth Defense Squad (currently pregnant). If you can't remember, she changes every time she sneezes.**

 **Beet – Raditz's oldest cub, destroyed West City, feels guilty about it, currently out in space with Engie and Doragastu, ostensibly to bring back tech and supplies, really to find Namek to wish West City back.**

 **Snip – Raditz's youngest cub, recently discovered to change when she sneezes like her mother. When she's blonde, she's sneaky and vindictive. When she has black hair, she's timid and easily frightened.**

 **Ruta – Kakarot's younger sister, the oldest of the girls. She is brash and obsessed with being the best. She's sensitive about her hair (which looks like Raditz's), and had been imprisoned by Queen Bulma for feeding humans to her baby sister Maca, but is recently released.**

 **Baga – Kakarot's younger brother, the youngest of the boys. Has short hair that spikes straight forward. He's not very strong, but he's wily. He's currently learning how to cook from Matou, and is really good at it, but his secret passion is that he wants to start his own pub, and sell his special blends of Saiyan liquors. Almost died from being poisoned from a recent attempt to assassinate King Vegeta.**

 **Maca – Kakarot's youngest sister. Her mother had been captured by Dr. Gero when she was pregnant with her, and Maca became Android 13 (even though she's not much like the other androids at all). Maca is the closest thing you're going to see to Cell in this story… if Dr. Gero had more time and different materials, she probably would have BEEN Cell. Think of her as, a Cell prototype.**

 **Turles – Kakarot's uncle, Bardock's older brother. Older than he looks (Saiyans look young for much longer than humans do), Turles is crafty, and is currently serving as the medic, since he's studied Saiyan biology at great length in an effort to grow his own tail back, which had been cut off prior to his banishment by the previous King Vegeta. He's strong, guys, and capable of going Super Saiyan, but with people like Kakarot, Vegeta, and Broly around, he's easily overlooked. (Which is how he likes it.)**

 **Mai – Turles's mate. Mai is great at pretending to be whatever you expect her to be, hiding her true, twisted desires to see the world burn, desires brought about by the trauma she suffered as a child. She doesn't want to cause others to suffer, but she's obsessed with witnessing the end of the world, and frequently allies herself with people she truly believes will bring that about – hence her real reason for joining the Earth Defense Squad. When she's not pretending to be something else, she's cold and logical, the perfect assassin. Dragon Ball fans will remember her as one of Emperor Pilaf's gang, and Dragon Ball Super fans will hate me for screwing up Trunks's girlfriend. But, alas, that's not gonna happen in this fic anyway, so who cares if I screw her up a little?**

 **Sadala – Taken in by Mai (now lives with Mai and Turles). No one knows just how much Saiyan blood Sadala has, because she looks nothing like a Saiyan. With silver eyes, two horns, long hair she keeps in tiny braids with feathers and beads, a tail that resembles a lion's more than a monkey's, and long robes which hide magical artifacts she crafts herself, she looks more like an alien witch. It isn't that far off. Sadala is one of Saru's apprentices, though it's hard to tell who is teaching whom. Sadala is very young, and rarely talks, but when she does, she displays knowledge beyond her years. As though she isn't really a little girl at all…**

 **Reaper (previously known as 3) – The oldest of the genetically altered hybrids (the ones created from Korn's genetic material). By oldest, I mean oldest living… the first couple of them died of old age, but all of the others, Reaper included, were modified so the rapid aging wore off after adolescence. Reaper was given that nickname by the others, as his tall, lanky, bone-thin frame, dark eyes, and ruthlessness in fighting were reminiscent of the Grim Reaper. He's been taken in by Turles and Mai.**

 **Broly – One of the strongest Saiyans, his strength can match Kakarot's and King Vegeta's, but he doesn't have the greatest control of it, which becomes a weakness for him. Born with an incredibly high power level, resulting in the previous King Vegeta ordering him to be put to death as an infant. His father Paragus was put to death by Kakarot after attempting to assassinate the current King Vegeta. Serves as Prince Tarble's Royal Guard.**

 **Parsi – Broly's mate. Began as one of the weakest Saiyans wished back, due to the black hole she grew up next to, is quickly becoming one of the strongest females. At first her language skills were lacking, but she's had quite a bit of practice now.**

 **Leriac – Broly and Parsi's cub. Still too young to fight in the Tournament, but won't be for long…**

 **Meron – Leader of the Earth Defense Squad. Has silver hair going straight down her back. Meron was the last Saiyan slave on another planet, before she got wished here. Strongest female.**

 **Zucchi – Strong fighter, skilled with music. He was an infiltrator cub, found by Bardock and Nappa, and taken in and mentored by Nappa before he died. Recently has stolen Nappa's triplet cubs from Nappa's mate Violet, who had a drug problem, and is now dead as well.**

 **Orin – Zucchi's mate. Not a very strong fighter, but she's getting better. Loves to make swords, has a favorite one she likes to carry, that is impossibly large. Saved at the last minute by one of her parents before the destruction of Planet Vegeta, crashed on Yardrat, where she was saved, then trained, by Gula.**

 **Kirisa, Dagra, Sai – Nappa and Violet's triplets, now belong to Zucchi and Orin.**

 **Matou – Chef in the mess hall. When he was a cub, he was sent out as part of a team to wipe out the local alien population, but turned against his team mates and killed them, protecting the peaceful natives. He lived alone after that, trying to live a life of peace, until he was wished to Earth. Baga's mentor.**

 **Chicori – Matou's mate. Chicori has hair that stands straight down, except for one neon green strand that sticks straight up. She was a mercenary, and usually wore a mask and a cloth skirt to hide her tail, before everyone was wished to Earth. She's a pretty strong fighter, and won't take shit from anyone. She has PTSD, which causes her to sometimes lose control in battle situations.**

 **Kumato – Matou and Chicori's cub.**

 **Duri – Duri has slightly pointed ears and bright green eyes, from his Elvari side, and has a natural aversion to violence. That doesn't mean he won't defend himself when pushed, and his pacifistic demeanor will likely cause his opponents to underestimate him, as what the Elvari lack in strength, they more than make up for with ki control. Lost his tail after the first time he transformed.**

 **Gula – Duri's mate. She has black hair that she keeps in a high, spiky pony tail, making her head resemble a pineapple. She had been sent out as an infiltrator cub due to her low power level, and was inadvertently sucked to Yardrat, years before Orin, losing her tail in the crash. She learned a lot from the Yardrats, and is a master of Instant Transmission, which she continues to teach her people. Her secret passion is cartography, though, and one day, she wants to map the entire galaxy. Don't underestimate her, what she lacks in power level, she makes up for in precision.**

 **Kudzu – Duri and Gula's cub. Strangely, didn't transform when the other cubs in Saiyan Village did…**

 **Nutz – Tall, strong, incredibly beautiful… and born with a birth defect known as moon-wrong, evidenced by her violet tinted eyes and longer-than-normal tail. She was the daughter of First-Class Saiyans, and was sent out as an infiltrator cub in an attempt to get stronger and redeem herself in the eyes of her people, despite being born as moon-wrong. She isn't really** _ **avoided**_ **by other Saiyans, and they all respect her strength, but it's common knowledge that one does not mate with a moon-wrong. The birth defect causes her to be absent-minded, and to daydream a lot. She prefers the company of females.**

 **Hasky – Nutz's mate. Those of you who watched the original Dragon Ball will remember Hasky as the master thief, who tried to steal (and temporarily succeeded in stealing) Goku's dragon balls, by pretending to be a fortune teller. (Come on guys… the scene where she says, "You have two balls, hidden under your clothes, of great importance. May I see them?" Then Goku says, "Wow, you're right!" and pulls down his pants. Priceless.) She's thrown in with the Earth Defense Squad, and her devil-may-care attitude about sleeping with anything with a tight enough bum was thwarted by her knock-out girlfriend who will literally kill anyone else Hasky makes eyes at.**

 **Doragastu – Half moon-wrong, he's of mating age, and has been chosen by Zuri; but he's afraid of taking a mate, as he doesn't want his moon-wrong genes to be passed to his children. Doragastu keeps his wits in battle, and is a powerful warrior, and master of a technique he invented himself, called the mirroring technique. Most Saiyans avoid conversation with him, as the effects of his moon-wrong genetics can be seen when he speaks; but he never loses his awareness of his surroundings like Nutz does… in fact, he's hyper-aware, able to combine the surreal with the real. He sees life from the perspective of someone standing outside the universe, looking in.**

 **Zuri – Has her eye on Doragastu. Has caramel-tinted hair with white on top, in the shape of a lion's mane. She was found by Korn like Nutz had been, and she and Nutz had become an inseparable team; at least, until Nutz started spending all her time with her mate, Hasky. Zuri is brave to a fault, and refuses to be like her mother, whose cowardice led her to try selling Zuri into slavery to save her own life. Zuri has a low opinion of humans after the battle with Frieza's forces, and refuses to take one for a mate. Zuri's pretty strong, and twice as stubborn; she won't let anything stand in her way.**

 **Saru – Saiyan priest, grew up on one of the moons of the planet Lunarius, the last in a line of Saiyans who left the Toefel planet when the first King Vegeta broke from the Warrior Path. Now Lunarius is gone, and Saru has taken it upon himself to teach the young Saiyans and hybrids the way of the Warrior Path, to bring the spirit of his people back. He has a distinctive moustache he is quite proud of, and a mangled half of a tail that sticks out at a strange angle, which he is sensitive about.**

 **Maiz – One of Saru's apprentices, he was an infiltrator cub, whose pod was rescued by Saru just outside of Lunarius's system. The malfunction with his pod exposed the young cub to the vacuum of space, near enough to a moon for him to instinctively attempt to transform to Oozaru in a misguided attempt at survival. He never finished the transformation before he was rescued, and as a result of his near-death experience, his eyes are stuck at the Oozaru shade of red, even when he isn't transformed.**

 **Snow – Maiz's mate. Red-haired girl from Jingle Village, Dragon Ball fans will remember her as the one who found a half-frozen Goku out in the middle of nowhere, and brought him home with her, saving his life. Her village had been turned into slaves for the Red Ribbon Army, who were looking for the dragon ball. In my story, it was not Goku who happened there first; it was Gine and the Earth Defense Squad, looking for a dragon ball. The villagers had attempted to revolt, resulting in the village being destroyed. Snow had to do terrible things to survive, and eagerly joined the Earth Defense Squad, remaining with them even after her village had been wished back.**

 **Edama – Young green-skinned cub, the youngest Saiyan to be wished to Earth. He was taken in by Snow and Maiz. Highly intelligent, able to solve complicated puzzles, even before he could talk. No one knows this but Edama, but his Saiyan mother died shortly before he was wished to Earth, from some kind of disease.**

 **Korn – Red mohawk, dark eyes, smuggler. Korn's mother was half Delphos, a carefree (and now nearly extinct… kinda) species with strong pheromones and hedonistic ways, making him three-quarters Saiyan, one-quarter Delphos. Unlike full-blooded Saiyans, he not only does not need to keep one mate for life, his Delphos side makes doing so unbearable, as he witnessed with his mother. He has unwittingly become the father of a large group of Saiyan/Human hybrids, but doesn't claim them, in true Delphos fashion. Think of him as a much less responsible Han Solo type character. His sexual preference is YES.**

 **Tato – An old apprentice of Korn's, full-blooded Saiyan, missing his tail (though that's not that uncommon anymore…). He's a very strong fighter, certainly Korn's equal, though it looks like he's getting even stronger now. His parents had been disgraced and banished prior to Vegeta's destruction, and raised him on another planet, but were killed by Frieza's soldiers; he was the only survivor. Has a ship of his own, somewhere out there…**

 **Bin (aka Engie) – Engie is a mechanical genius. His hair stands straight up in a flat top, and he wears a black skin-tight suit. His passion is machines, of any kind, but mostly ships. He's as gruff and likely to knock your lights out as any Saiyan, but tends to spend his free time tinkering rather than training. Lost his mate a long time ago to Frieza's men, spent a lot of time on a prison planet, years of near starvation corroding his power level. Currently with Beet and Doragastu out in space.**

 **Chu-Lee – Dragon Ball fans remember her as the little girl who lost her bird, when Goku happened by on a quest from Kami as part of his training. She was able to** _ **feel**_ **her bird's energy. She and her mother were kind to Goku. In my story, she never met him, but had lost her eyesight due to an illness she contracted. Her ability to sense energy was amplified due to the loss of that sense, and when Gine happened by with the Earth Defense Squad, she was intrigued by Chu-Lee's ability, and recruited her.**

 **Roak – Roak was an infiltrator cub, landed on a planet called Toarog, which was inhabited by frog-like aliens. He had been taken in by an old doctor, who had mistakenly caused the cub to go blind after a risky surgery on his eyes, to keep him from turning Oozaru again. He doesn't remember anything prior to his life with the doctor, and has no concept of what colors are. However, he's treated the same as any other Saiyan, and his blindness doesn't hamper his ability to fight. Secretly hoping Chu-Lee will choose him for a mate. They spend a lot of time together, but nothing has been made official yet.**

 **Chao – Dragon Ball fans remember Chao from the episode with Terror and Plague (memorable moment was where Goku got sucked into that gourd, managed to avoid the saki inside by extending his power pole against the sides of it… and peed in the saki, causing it to taste foul when the bad guys drank it). In my story, Kakarot never came by, and Terror and Plague eventually terrorized and consumed her entire village. Chao was horribly traumatized by all the terrible things they did to her, but she got her revenge in the end, thanks to Chi-chi, Tanmen, and Chu-Lee. She's now a member of the EDS.**

 **Mint – Mint was recruited into the EDS after her village was destroyed by the volcano her people worshipped. Also from an original Dragon Ball episode, where Yamcha and Krillin had rescued the village. That didn't happen in this story.**

 **Olive (previously known as 42) – One of the genetically modified Saiyan hybrids, not the youngest, but one of the youngest, the forty-second one created. She's become friends with Ruta and Sadala, and is one of the few people who now know that Maca is still alive.**

 **Android 11 (Dr. Gero) – Dr. Gero had kidnapped Yamcha and Ran-fan, two fighters from the World Martial Arts Tournament. Ran-fan (remember her, she's the one who used her looks to distract the other fighters?) became Android 11. Later, when Dr. Gero knew he would probably die, he created a program that would transfer his consciousness into one of his androids in the event of his death. His consciousness now resides in Android 11. Now Dr. Gero is a beautiful young woman with purple curly hair.**

 **Android 12 (Twelve) – Yamcha was captured by Dr. Gero, and turned into Android 12. In an experiment to see if his own consciousness would remain stable upon being transferred into a computer, Dr. Gero electronically mapped Yamcha's brain waves, then removed his brain, replacing it with a computer, and re-programming it to have access to Yamcha's memories. The results were mixed, but allowed Dr. Gero to perfect his technique. Twelve remembers being Yamcha, but knows he is not him anymore. Until recently, he was a master at the Turtle School, helping Tienshinhan and Chiaotzu teach the ways of Master Roshi. Recently he's been sent back to Dr. Gero.**

 **Android 14 (Fourteen) – Fourteen is the tall, silver android from the DBZ movie 'Android Thirteen'. Only, in this story, Android 13 is Maca, not the annoying redneck android with the trucker hat. Fourteen has a long black braid and sort of a green skirt and harness (just google him… sounds girly when I describe him).**

 **Android 15 (Fifteen) – Fifteen is the short, purple android with the big funny hat from the DBZ movie 'Android Thirteen'. He's often seen drinking from a canteen. If I forgot to mention why, I'll have to bring it up when we finish the tournament. His hat protects incredibly accurate sensors which make him the perfect machine for gathering intel.**

 **Android 16 (Sixteen) – Sixteen is the same as he is in canon, guys… he's currently being created, and Dr. Gero is highly protective of him.**

 **Tienshinhan, Chiaotzu – I hope you guys remember who they are. Tien's got the three eyes, Chiaotzu is the short white one who looks like a doll.**

 **Krillin – One of the Guardians of the Earth. Krillin and Goku never trained together in this story, as Goku wished for his family back before he ever went to train with Master Roshi. Krillin did fight Goku in the Tournament, though, and they became good friends. Since then, Krillin strove to attain what Goku had, and his ambition led him up Korin's Tower… and to training under Kami, who foresaw terrible things to come with the arrival of the Saiyans, and wished to pass down the title of Guardian to someone else.**

 **Upa – One of the Guardians of the Earth. Dragon Ball fans remember Upa as the little Indian boy who Goku saved. In this story, his father Bora died at the hands of the Red Ribbon Army, and Upa decided to climb the Tower of Korin, to see what fate awaited him there. He and Krillin trained together for a while, and then Kami bestowed his power onto both of them.**

 **Maaya – She was a Turtle School student until recently, when the Turtle school broke up after Master Tien accused her and Tasha of being traitors. Most of the students went with Tien, but Maaya, Tasha, and four of the younger Turtle School students stayed together, and went to the Lookout until the Tournament. Maaya is known mostly for her optimism and unshakeable faith in the Guardians.**

 **Tasha – Tasha was also a Turtle school student, has been training with Maaya in secret, to get stronger, believes with her that the Saiyans are not the monsters Master Tien had painted them to be. She has a more cynical view on life than Maaya does, though, and isn't afraid to let her opinion be known.**

 **Ketsu – Ketsu is Master Tien's prize pupil. He's cold and ruthless, and only cares about strength. He and Tasha were once friends, but the break-up of the school has caused them to part ways. But, is he destined to be painted the bad guy?**

 **Saki – Saki was the only survivor of Central City. She witnessed the carnage, and lived in the aftermath for months, until a team of scientists came to investigate the city of corpses, only to be shot down by Saki, who thought they were more aliens. She's currently holing up in an abandoned Red Ribbon Army base, studying a book the two travelers from the future gave her.**

 **Heaven – A girl from the Ox Kingdom, she has dark skin and curly hair, and is friends with Baga. Her mother runs the sweets booth, and while she loves to bake, she also enjoys fighting, something her father taught her before he died. She's joining the Tournament as well, determined to make Baga notice her for something other than the sweets she makes for him every day.**

 **Prince Vegeta – Yes, guys, this is King Vegeta's son from the future, named Trunks in canon, but since he was raised the Saiyan way, he's been given his father's name, as is their way. Note that he's much younger than he was when he came back in time in canon…**

 **Ox King – This might be confusing, but with the time travel, there seem to be two Ox Kings at the moment… the current one, Chi-chi's father, and the one from the future, otherwise known as Gohan. He's currently dressed up like one of the Ox Kingdom fish mongers, a guy named Sammy Black, who history showed cheated his way through the Tournament, and was disqualified from it. All we really know about him is that his face is scarred, and that he hates his father, Kakarot, even though he barely remembers him.**

 **Okay, that's all of them… if I've forgotten someone, please let me know, and I'll go back and edit this. Thanks!**

Chao glared at her opponent, sweat pouring down her face. Tato stretched, popping his neck, and smirked at her. "You're not too bad for a human, Chao. But you know how this is gonna end, right?" he asked, pointing to the green light emanating from beneath the skin on the back of his hand. "You knew that the moment this thing turned green."

Chao curled her lip. "I've fought… stronger opponents… before…" she said, steeling herself for another attack. "And I NEVER GIVE UP!" she yelled, throwing herself at Tato, disappearing at the last second to appear in the air behind him, sending a powerful kick to the back of his neck. Tato reached back and grabbed her leg from behind as the kick connected, and used it to throw her down to the ground again. And, once again, she got up, swaying slightly, fury in her gaze.

Tato sighed. "Come on, Chao… I admire your spirit, but you're clearly outmatched. I'm a Saiyan, you're a human. There's no way you can win. You're just drawing this battle out. Look around you… we're the only ones left fighting!" he said, gesturing around them.

It was true… the others had all beaten their opponents, or been beaten by them. Chao and Tato were the last fight of the preliminary rounds, primarily because Chao refused to stay down or admit defeat, and Tato didn't want to risk killing her. His many attempts to just knock her out had, so far, failed. She was a human female, but _damn_ if she wasn't scrappy.

Chao spit at him. "That's bullshit, and you know it. We're as strong as we push ourselves to become, no matter what species we are. And I'm not going down while there's still breath in my body!" she yelled, preparing herself for another attack.

Tato blinked. "I know what this is…" he said, holding up a finger. "This doesn't have anything to do with proving you're stronger than a Saiyan. This is because you hate men, isn't it?" he accused, amusement in his eyes.

Chao snarled at him. "I don't hate men, Tato… I just hate YOU!" she shouted, launching herself at him once more, delivering a powerful kick to the back of his neck.

And once more, she was knocked to the ground.

And once more… she pulled herself back up.

"Kick his ass!" Bulma yelled from her seat on the balcony, unheard by the fighters.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "You know she isn't going to win," he said, raising an eyebrow. He pushed a glass toward her. "Drink. You need to get this one down, you have three more to go," he said with a sigh.

Bulma glared at him. "So, what, you think she should just give up? That doesn't sound like you," she pointed out.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "Of course not. If she gave up, she wouldn't be worthy of that red sleeve of hers. But it changes nothing, her opponent is clearly stronger than she is. This fight can only end one way. If it were a real battle, she'd be long since dead," he said matter-of-factly.

Suddenly the large holographic version of Chao rushed at Tato again, and… to the crowd's amazement, the large Saiyan actually went down.

Bulma smirked at Vegeta's incredulous expression. "You were saying?"

Chao glared down at her opponent, who was surprisingly unconscious, only the rise and fall of his chest showed he was still alive. "Never… give… up," she said, gasping heavily.

Suddenly, the world around her began to grow smaller, and soon she and Tato were normal size, with a crowd cheering all around her. Turles ran up to Tato, checking his pulse, then began to chuckle. He glanced up at Chao. "So _that's_ why you were askin' Mai about pressure points the other day," he said, looking her over.

Chao grinned wryly. "Know your enemy," she said after she caught her breath. "Figured it might come in handy in a Tournament with Saiyans," she added.

Turles grunted at that. "Doubt any of 'em will let you near their necks after you brought down Tato," he said. "Hope that ain't the only trick up your sleeve."

Chao smirked. "I've got a few more," she said, and walked away to where the winners of the first Preliminary round were gathered, cheering her on.

Turles hauled the unconscious Tato up onto his shoulder, and flew with him to the Infirmary. Once Dr. Zohan had him situated, he returned to the group as well.

Maaya and Tasha came up to Chao after her friends had all congratulated her. "Wow, that was amazing!" Maaya said, beaming at her.

Chao grinned, looking them over. "Thanks! Are you two from the Ox Kingdom?" she asked, thinking they looked familiar. "Oh, wait, you're those girls who brought Snip back!" she said, smiling at them. "Glad to see you made it," she said.

The girls smiled back. Maaya was about to say something, when Tasha nudged her with her elbow and looked over to the left meaningfully. Maaya looked, and her face paled. "Master Tien…" she whispered, swallowing hard.

Chao looked where they were looking. "Who's that?" she asked, curious about someone who would cause these otherwise brave girls to shrink back like that.

Tasha spoke. "He… he was our Master. But… our school sort of broke up," she said quietly.

"Because of us," Maaya said sadly, just as Tien caught their gaze, and glared at them coldly, before turning away. Maaya turned and looked down. "We messed everything up… he thinks we're traitors."

Tasha rolled her eyes. "So what? He's an asshole. Being a traitor to an asshole isn't such a bad thing, you know. You don't think he's right, do you? That Saiyans are monsters that wanna take over the world?"

Maaya shook her head. "No… I know he's wrong. It's just… I hate how things are. We shouldn't be fighting… we should be on the same side."

Chao placed a hand on her shoulder, and Maaya looked up. "If you don't like how things are… then change them. Just living with it, being wrong… it won't help anyone. I did that once… I tried to do what bad people wanted me to, and they never stopped. You have to be brave enough to change your world, that's the only way it will ever change," she said to her, seriousness in her eyes.

Maaya took a deep breath, then gave her a nod. Suddenly, she started walking towards Tienshinhan.

"Shit… now look what you've made her do!" Tasha said, running after her friend.

Maaya reached Tien before Tasha could stop her. When she stood before him, she said, "Master Tien. I'm glad you're here."

Tienshinhan turned and glared at her. "How _dare_ you speak to me?!" he hissed at her, taking a menacing step toward her.

Maaya didn't back down, merely scowled. "I know you hate us right now, but I also know that one day, you're gonna stop hating everyone, and then we're gonna be friends. So I just wanted you to know… I'm glad you're here," she said bravely.

Tienshinhan glared at her coldly. "Pray to your Guardians that I don't face you in the Tournament, traitor. Or I'll see to it that you never fight again," he said, and pushed his way past her, walking away.

Tasha's eyes were wide. "What… the _hell,_ Maaya. Do you have a death wish or something?" she hissed at her friend.

Maaya smiled slowly. "A few seconds ago, weren't we scared he'd look over and see us? Then we stepped up to face him… and _he_ walked away from _us,"_ she said, looking back at Tasha. "Chao was right… I don't like a world where we all hate each other. I'm gonna do whatever I can to change that," she said.

Nearby, a man in a dusty brown cloak blinked. There was such… _hope_ here…

He turned his eyes to Kakarot, and glared. There was the man who would ruin it all.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Okay, fighters, time for the next round! Signals have been sent to the devices in your hands. Right now there are 100 fighters, when you're done there will only be 50, then one more round of preliminaries and we'll be down to 25! Once that happens, bouts will be chosen randomly by the system, until there is one winner. So get ready, fighters, and may the best one win!" Queen Bulma's voice echoed over the crowd, and the audience cheered.

Heaven glanced at Baga, who was rubbing his sore shoulder. "Think we'll have to fight each other this time?" she asked.

Baga slid a glance at her. "Why? Tryin' to see which one of us is the strongest?" he asked. "I promise, if we do, I'll go easy on ya."

Heaven scowled at him. "I just don't wanna hurt your feelings when I kick your butt," she said, offended that he automatically assumed he would win.

Baga smirked at that. "That's the spirit! Come on, let's get out there," he said, and stood up, following the group of fighters back out to the middle of the arena.

Heaven sighed. " _Boys,_ " she muttered, shaking her head, and followed him.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Mint looked down at her hand as she made her way through the crowd, and bumped into something hard. Startled, she looked up to see Launch scowling down at her, her very pregnant belly sticking out in front of her. Mint blinked, and her face turned crimson. "Sorry, Launch…" she said, swallowing hard.

The blonde woman held her gaze for a moment, then smirked. "What're you so nervous about?" she asked, glancing down at the girl's hand. "I'm sure your opponent's around here somewhere. Ain't nothin' you ain't faced before," she said.

Mint cocked her head at that. "Yeah… I guess so. It's just… my last opponent was Jarin Sans, that blowhard carpenter, he was easy. I just know I'm not gonna be so lucky this time," she said, biting her lip.

"It's blinking again," a familiar voice said, and both women's eyes widened as they turned around, terror in their eyes at the tall, dark haired beauty with the purple eyes who walked up to them, the back of her hand blinking green.

Launch looked down at her hand first, then breathed a sigh of relief… followed by a sympathetic cringe when Mint looked down at hers.

Mint's hand was blinking.

Nutz gave her a wide smile. "Let's fight!" she said excitedly, and Mint yelped as she grabbed her by the hand and drug her away.

Launch shook her head. She'd _really_ dodged a-

"Oh, come on, you gotta be kidding me!" a voice said, and she turned to glare at Reaper, who's hand was blinking green…

Just like hers was.

"Yeah? And what's your problem, twerp?" she asked, cracking her knuckles in preparation for their bout. Chao wasn't the _only_ one who could take a Saiyan down…

Reaper grimaced, his dark eyes on her midsection. "What the hell, why did you compete, if you're like _that?"_ he demanded, causing Launch to growl in fury.

"What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean? Just because I'm pregnant, I can't fight? It ain't like I'm the only one pregnant out here," she said, stretching and getting into a fighting stance. "You better prepare yourself, String Bean, 'cause Mama's gonna leave you as a blood smear in the dirt if you don't," she said, eyes narrowed.

Reaper studied her dubiously for a long moment. Too long, because true to her word, Launch quickly attacked, landing a powerful elbow to his jaw, knocking him off balance enough to allow her to get him on the ground and start kicking. Swiftly Reaper got back up, but not without a few sore reminders not to drop his guard again. He squared off against her, glaring. "Fine. But don't think I'll go easy on you 'cause you're pregnant. You're still-"

A powerful punch to his jaw and a sharp elbow to his solar plexus stopped whatever he was going to say, and he did everything he could to push her off of him. " _You're_ still talkin', when you should be fightin'. Now shut the hell up and fight me, or I'll have to embarrass you in front of Daddy Dearest over there," she said, gesturing towards their right, where Korn was fighting his opponent.

Reaper glared at her. "Ok, that's _it_ ," he hissed, then sent a punch flying at her face.

Launch cried out in pain.

Reaper blinked. "But… I didn't…" he said, confused.

Launch's hand still held his fist, where she had blocked it. Suddenly, she squeezed it, hard, and cried out again, as a suspicious puddle of liquid appeared beneath her.

"Uh…" Reaper said, still standing in mid-punch.

"Shut up and _help me!_ " Launch yelled, as another contraction began, squeezing Reaper's fist even harder as she doubled over.

The lanky teenager's eyes went wide. "What do I do?" he demanded, his face going pale as the gravity of the situation set in.

"Go get Raditz!" she hissed through another contraction.

"But… he's fighting…" Reaper said, looking around helplessly.

Suddenly, his face was inches away from Launch's, as she was grabbing him by the front of his armor. "I don't care if he's being eaten alive by dinosaurs, you're gonna get him, and bring him here, or I'm feeding you to this damned cub!" she screamed at him.

Fear in his eyes, Reaper nodded quickly, then flew off like a bolt, desperately searching for Raditz.

He didn't have to search far… Raditz was going up against one of his own unit, 23, though nowadays he was calling himself Choy. "Raditz!" Reaper yelled, getting his attention.

Choy glared his way. "You can't interfere with the fights, Reaper, it's the rules," Choy said, his mood already sour that he had to face the bulky Saiyan during the preliminaries.

"It's his mate, she's-" Reaper said, but suddenly a hand was around his throat, squeezing.

"What did you do to her," Raditz snarled, his voice low, but deadly.

"Nothing!" Reaper choked out. "She's… giving… birth…" he gasped, barely able to breath.

Raditz's hand quickly left his throat, and Reaper gasped gratefully, watching the tall Saiyan fly off.

"Huh… does that mean I win?" Choy asked, blinking.

Reaper rolled his eyes. "No, dumbass. Just wait for him to get back," he said, shaking his head.

In no time, Raditz was at Launch's side, helping her to stand. "We need to get you out of here, some place private," he said gruffly, looking around.

"Raditz, this cub's head is in my crotch, we ain't going _nowhere,_ " Launch hissed at him.

Raditz's eyes widened, then he scowled at her. "I _told_ you not to fight today," he scolded her.

"Yeah, bitch later, catch now!" Launch screamed at him. Suddenly, her face scrunched up, in a look Raditz had come to dread. "No… not… now…. aah… aaaaahhh…." she gasped, the dust tickling her nose.

Seconds later, her hair was blue, her eyes were wide, and she was looking down at herself in terror.

"Okay, listen, calm down, Launch, I know you're freaked out right now, but you need to focus," Raditz said, not knowing what to expect, but knowing it couldn't be good.

Launch breathed heavily. "Take my clothes off, right now, Raditz," she said, her voice surprisingly calm, considering she woke up in the middle of having a baby in the fighting arena. "And when this is all over, you can tell me what the hell I'm doing out here like this when I'm this far along!" she said, her otherwise sweet voice strained by the pain of another contraction.

Raditz blinked at that, then dutifully began to help her remove her armor. "Can't keep up with you," he grumbled as he did so, shaking his head ruefully. "Let me fly you some- oh, _shit,"_ he said, and quickly put his hands out to support the cub's head as Launch cried out, pushing the cub out. She shakily leaned against his shoulders, and he held her up with one hand, and held the cub with the other, still attached to the umbilical cord.

"Give him to me," Launch said shakily, and he placed the cub gently in her arms, amazed at how much like her the cub looked. Knowing she wouldn't stand much longer, he scooped her up into his arms, and flew towards the sidelines, not waiting for the miniaturization to wear off completely before flying his mate and cub into the hot baths.

Queen Bulma glanced at her display. "That's weird. Launch and Raditz both left the fighting area at the same time, but neither have defeated their opponent- _oh,_ " she said, her eyes going wide as she viewed the footage. Pressing a button, Bulma said, "Okay, ladies and gentleman… and everyone else… we're calling a time out due to… unforeseen circumstances. Now's a great time to go grab something to eat," she said, knowing she wouldn't have too many Saiyans fussing at her once she mentioned food.

"What now?" Vegeta asked, turning from his sullen glowering into nowhere, to glower at her. "Why did you call off the fighting?"

Bulma glared back at him. "Because I didn't want the fighters tripping over the newborn cub," she retorted, and stood up turning to leave the balcony.

"The… wait, _what?!_ " Vegeta demanded, but as usual, Bulma wasn't listening, and merely flew off, towards the hot baths.

When she arrived, it was to the sound of Launch reading Raditz the riot act… but, strangely, it was _blue-haired_ Launch who was yelling this time. " _Four months_ , Raditz. You let me be her for _four months straight_ , knowing I was pregnant, and you didn't think I'd want to _experience_ a part of that?! And then, you let her compete in a _Tournament_ , KNOWING she was ready to give birth! You're a Saiyan, Raditz! Are you telling me you catch bullets and defeat alien monsters, but you can't stand up to a pregnant woman?!"

Raditz's eyes were wide. "The females fight pregnant all the time!" he said, holding his hands up.

" _Saiyan_ females fight pregnant, Raditz! Look, I might still _train_ when I'm pregnant, and if it's a matter of life or death, I'll even _fight_ while I'm pregnant, but this?! This is a competition, for _sport_! NOT worth risking the life of our cub!" she exclaimed, scowling.

Raditz met her gaze… then looked away. "What do you want me to do?" he asked, knowing she was right… and also knowing this was a fight he would not win.

Launch glanced up at Queen Bulma, who was standing in the doorway, not wanting to intrude. She glanced back at Raditz. "You are going to take a moment, and hold your son. You are going to give him a proper Saiyan name. And then, you are going to hand him to me, and get out there, and do the fighting for our family. Because that's _your_ job, and making sure the cubs live long enough to grow up into stubborn, hard-headed numbskulls like you, is _my_ job," she said, handing the tiny cub to the large warrior.

Raditz swallowed hard, taking the tiny blue-haired cub into his arms. "Jicam," he said, gruffly, his tail gently brushing against his cub's. Large blue eyes gazed up at him, and he smirked. "After Jicam the Stone. 'Cause your papa's got a hard head, and if you're lucky, yours'll be harder. You'll need it to survive your mama," he said, earning a mock-glare from his mate. Gently, he handed his newborn son back to his mate, and brushed his fingers against her shoulder, earning a soft smile from Launch, before inclining his head towards Queen Bulma in passing as he left the hot baths.

Bulma raised an eyebrow at Launch. "Welcome back," she said, cocking her head. "I was hoping we'd see the sane Launch soon."

Launch frowned at her. "You know how to make me sneeze, Bulma. Don't think I don't know why you don't see me that often. My other half is a better fighter. Don't think that you being the Queen means I'm not just as angry with you," she said, her blue eyes narrowed.

Bulma blinked. "I'm pregnant," she revealed.

Suddenly, Launch's icy demeanor melted. "Oh my gosh! Oh, look at all I've missed! We have so much to talk about!" she gushed, excitement in her eyes.

Bulma smiled, secretly relieved she was able to distract Launch from being mad at her. Blonde-haired Launch being angry, was a daily thing. Blue-haired Launch being angry… _that_ was just scary. Hasky still had burn marks from the last time she'd gotten angry. "Well, actually, it'll probably have to wait until after the Tournament. How about we get you cleaned up, and you and the cub can sit on the balcony with me, and I'll fill you in on everything you missed," she offered.

Launch brightened at that. "That sounds wonderful," she said.

 **A/N: Okay, so there's a bit of a commercial break…. but we'll be back after these messages!**


	15. The Tournament, Part 6

**A/N: I want to thank everyone who helped me get this chapter together! Old One Griffin wrote the fight between Saru and Reaper, and Smashgunner wrote the battle between Meron and Tienshinhan. Thanks, guys, couldn't have done it without you! And thanks to everyone else who volunteered to help!**

The moment the next bout of preliminaries was announced to begin, Heaven looked down at her hand nervously. Beating Mr. Hyram in the first round had given her confidence, but there were far fewer humans in this round to fight…

The green light in her hand was already blinking.

Standing next to her, Baga looked down at his hand, and his stomach clenched. Their eyes were on each other's hand, then slowly came to meet each other's gaze.

Then Baga smirked.

"Ok, so here's the deal. After I beat you, you promise to keep making those fudge square things, and I'll bring you double the amount for a month," he said, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Heaven's gaze went from one of nervousness to one of pure fury. "What? Is THAT all you care about?! And why do you think YOU'RE going to win?" she demanded, getting into a fighting stance.

Baga shrugged. "It's just basic common sense. I'm a Saiyan, you're a human. It's not like you can beat me," he said, ignoring the way Heaven's eyes narrowed at that.

Heaven couldn't figure out why he was being so mean to her all of the sudden, and she didn't care. Her father had taught her to reign in her emotions, to draw strength from them, but to let her mind do the fighting. She regarded him coldly. "Prove it," she said, ready for anything.

Inwardly, Baga smirked. Now he was gonna see what Heaven could _really_ do…

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Kakarot walked around the arena, eyes on his right hand, when the light on it suddenly began to blink. Looking up, he glanced around until he saw a tall Saiyan female, gazing up at the sky, completely oblivious to the fact that people were fighting all around them.

"Hey… you my opponent?" he asked, noting how the woman's hand blinked green. When she didn't respond, he began to smirk. "Oh, right, I remember you. The crazy one," he said, dropping character for the moment, as there was no one sane around to hear him. He stepped up close to her, close enough to whisper in her ear. "I was watching, you know. On my scouter. I saw what Jeice did to your mate. Over and over. While you were forced to watch," he said, smirking as the woman's hands began to shake. "You probably couldn't see from where Burter was hitting you in the face, but I saw. She was starting to _like_ it."

Nutz had been gazing up at the sky, wondering how everyone around them had gotten too big for her to see them anymore, when a man came and started whispering in her ear.

It made her head hurt.

Hasky… Hasky and a red man, and he was doing things, and that was _her_ mate, and she kept rushing to her to rip the red man's head off, but the blue man would be there, knocking her out, and it was dark again…

Except the screaming, she could still hear-

With a scream she tore at the man whispering to her, death in her purple eyes, as she saw the scene playing before her, over and over, and this time, there was no blue man to stop her…

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Parsi regarded the smelly human warily. She had come to learn that the natives to this planet were not as strong as Saiyans were, but her time growing up on a planet with barely any gravity had taught her that strength was something you had to earn, not something you were born with. And some of these humans had earned their strength well.

"I do not plan to underestimate you, stranger," she said to the man, truth in her eyes as she prepared to fight. "Do not underestimate me."

'Sammy Black' grunted at that, regarding Parsi. He had never met the woman, not that he could remember, but he had a feeling she wasn't big into bullshit. He gave her a nod, hoping to keep conversation down to a minimum.

Then he caught her leg before it impacted against his head.

Cursing himself for not taking a few hits at the beginning, he released her and backed away, remembering he had to keep up this façade, at least until he faced off against Kakarot.

But Parsi was gazing at him, confused. "You had me, why not attack?" she asked, suspicious. It was almost like he had _accidentally_ blocked her.

"Guess I was just surprised I blocked it, that's all," the smelly man said.

Parsi frowned. "Be ready, I'll attack again," she said, not trusting this situation in the slightest. Preparing herself, she appeared behind him, sending an elbow into the back of his neck. It connected, and he turned and sent a side punch to her abdomen, which missed. She then kneed him in the back, hard, and he reached back to grab her, flinging her away before she could do it again.

Parsi watched him carefully as he rubbed the back of his neck. She stood up straight. "You're not human," she said, earning a surprised glance from her opponent.

"Huh? Of course I am!" the Ox King responded, but Parsi shook her head.

"That attack takes Chao down every time. Chao is a formidable human who cares only for training. You are not human. Why the lie?" she asked, her expression insisting on the truth, and nothing less.

The Ox King frowned, sighing. "If you know, I'm afraid that means I have to knock you out. I can't risk anyone else finding out before I can fight the one I came to fight," he said.

"You want to surprise someone," Parsi said, gazing at him. "Is it Broly?" she asked, not wishing anyone to make a fool of her mate.

"No, not Broly," the Ox King replied, gazing at her curiously.

Parsi gave a nod. "Then you have my silence. But fight me well, stranger. No more lies, or half-punches. Agreed?" she asked, watching him closely.

The Ox King smirked. He liked this woman. "Very well. Your silence, for my honesty. But this fight will be very short," he warned her.

Parsi smirked back. "As long as it is fought well," she said, and called all of her power to her for her next attack.

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It had been an interesting few minutes for Saru. His first opponent had been nothing more than an angry flailing child. It would have been funny if he hadn't had to shove his fist into the cub's stomach to get him to calm down. Then the tournament had a brief pause because Raditz's mate Launch had another cub. This on its own, was extraordinary! A cub born into the midst of battle was a good omen, it was a reminder of all they were fighting for, and a sign of hope that life would arise out of the death around them. Not that this was a real battle, but a good omen was a good omen nonetheless.

And speaking of omens… one of the humans' abominations seemed to be his next opponent. Saru grunted at the tall hybrid boy. He had come to learn that Saiyan/Human hybrids could be a force to be reckoned with, but these artificially grown Saiyans were a pale reflection of young warriors like Raditz and Launch's son Beet. Not one to turn his back on his people, no matter where they came from, he had taken it upon himself to teach the younger hybrids, but this one, Reaper, refused to come to his classes.

Well, teaching self-important Saiyans the error of their ways was why he loved his life as a priest.

Reaper regarded the old man warily. The old priest looked odd… for one thing, that mustache of his gave him the creeps. That, and his half of a mangled tail that bent out at a weird angle. But mostly it was the way the older Saiyan gazed at him, like he knew everything he was thinking, that threw him off. Reaper held up his hand, light facing Saru. "Looks like it's you and me, old man," he said, cracking his knuckles. "I'll try to go easy on ya."

Saru grunted at that. "Said the tiny ant to the mighty lizard," he said, gazing at Reaper. "Save your boasting for _after_ the battle, when you have something to boast _about_ ," he chided, clasping his hands together behind his back.

With a cry, Reaper began his attack, using everything he'd learned at the base to take Saru down. However, after ten minutes, he began to realize that he could not hit the older male. Every swing he would make for his head, the old Saiyan would simply lean back and avoid, and for every kick, he would simply dodge, his hands never leaving one another clasped firmly behind him.

 _This old man must think he's soooo great and tough…_ the young hybrid thought to himself. _He bosses us around and treats us just like we're no better than children! And look at him, all he does is dodge!_ Reaper smirked as he continued his endless onslaught on Saru.

In an attempt to throw his opponent off guard, Reaper got low and attempted to grab the old man. He was about thirty centimeters away when he felt his momentum stop and felt a great deal of pain in his lower back. Saru, in an impressive feat of speed and dexterity had spun around the flying hybrid, lifted up his leg, and brought it back down with a devastating crack, sending his younger opponent firmly into the ground, causing a small crater to form around the gaunt teen.

"Oh please don't tell me you're down for the count young one, I barely hit you," the monk said as he played with his mustache with his left pinky. Slowly the ground began to shake as Reaper jumped up from his new home and began to swing wildly at the unprepared priest. Blow after blow connected with the priest as the hybrid lost himself to his rage, quickly rearing his right fist below him, bringing it up with his ki fused into it so that he could singe of that stupid mustache.

With a triumphant roar Reaper buried his fist into the left side of Saru's face, grinning with ferocity. That was, until he looked up so see the priest almost completely unharmed, save for a small trickle of blood coming from his lip, and his mustache slightly frizzled.

"Are you done now boy?" Saru asked, with Reaper's fist still planted in his cheek. "If so I believe it is time for me to end this." Faster than Reaper could see, Saru reached up and grabbed his fist. An audible crunch followed, as the bones in said hand shattered under the force of the old man. Before Reaper could even cry out in pain he was pulled forward into the waiting knee of the old man, feeling his internal organs moving as the appendage forced its way deeper into his body then even the needles he was injected with as a cub. He felt spittle come out, but before he could properly register what had happened, a neck breaking chop sent him back to his home in the ground and into unconsciousness.

Saru fixed his mustache. "I wonder if Launch would like a gift basket and some wine for congratulations?" he wondered to himself as he made his way out of the arena.

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Zucchi scowled at his opponent grimly. Ten feet away stood a young cub with impossibly long, spiky hair, and red battle armor. Kakarot's little sister Ruta. Zucchi had no problems fighting a female, or fighting a cub for that matter; he'd noticed humans often had a problem with it, but Saiyan cubs were expected to fight, and expected to get knocked down, a lot. That was how they became so strong. He was just one in a long line of opponents the girl would get beaten by before she finally won a battle. Wasn't a great challenge for him, but one day she might grow up to be a powerful warrior. "Heya, cub, ready for a dirt nap?" he asked, cracking his knuckles.

"You're the one taking a dirt nap today, Zucchi," Ruta said, scowling back. She smirked. "I wouldn't underestimate me if I were you," she warned.

Zucchi smirked in return. "Good. Show me what you got. You have 30 seconds to fight me before I start fighting back. How well you do, determines how long I let you stay conscious for the rest of the fight," he said, arms crossed.

Ruta growled at the insult. Not bothering to waste time trading words, she flew at him, landing blow after blow. True to his word, Zucchi didn't fight back, didn't even dodge, even when her blows caused blood to trickle from his lip. It infuriated her, all of her training, and he just stood there taking it. Knowing this battle was going to be more of a question of how badly she could hurt him before he knocked her out, Ruta tried to channel as much of her anger as she could, thinking about Maca, and how some _human_ had hurt her, and she let the anger take her over, filling every part of her.

And then he started to hit back.

Ruta had no real concept of time after that. She was fighting him, blow for blow, and even when her muscles screamed at her to stop, she kept going, even when the skin on her knuckles split from punching so hard, even when her lungs burned for a moment to catch her breath. All of her hatred, her _helplessness,_ at everything that had happened, to her mother, her sister, her family… she let it come out now, and she barely felt the large fist catching her in the side, across the face, in the back of her head.

In the balcony, blue-haired Launch and Bulma watched the scene with wide eyes. "She's… is Ruta a Super Saiyan now?" Launch asked, holding her newborn close to her chest as he suckled. The girl's hair had turned blonde, and she was standing up against a warrior more than twice her age!

Bulma blinked, still shocked. "I… I don't know. I didn't think so, but… she _did_ just lose her sister… maybe that-"

" _What?!_ " Launch demanded, eyes wide as she turned to Bulma. "What are you talking about? Where's Maca?" she demanded.

Bulma swallowed. "I'm sorry, Launch… we just found out before the Tournament. Maca… it looks like she was killed, Ruta thinks it was a human who did it," she said, her voice subdued. She still blamed herself… if she had been able to find a way to fix Maca, then she wouldn't have been trying to feed on people, and likely wouldn't have been killed.

Launch looked like she was about to scream at Bulma, but suddenly broke down crying. Bulma held her friend close, comforting her, feeling so much worse than she would have if she'd actually been out there fighting.

Meanwhile, Zucchi had his hands full with Ruta. Since when was this cub a Super Saiyan? She was fighting like a wild animal, going for the throat, and he had to power up just to keep her from actually tearing it out.

Zucchi smirked. "You're full of surprises, I'll give you that, cub," he said, pounding a fist into the side of her skull once again. She fell back, but soon was leaping forward again. "Ok, I promised, so it's the long way out for you. Good thing your uncle's a medic," he said, scowling as he caught her by the hair. Then he began punching her in the torso, over and over, careful not to use so much force that he killed her. He would pause from time to time so she could catch her breath, then started punching her again, and again, until he finally let go of her now black hair and let her fall to the ground. He watched her carefully, fully expecting her to remain on the ground. However, she shakily pulled herself up to her feet, and stood there unsteadily, glaring up at him from beneath that large mane of hair, blood pouring down her face. Zucchi smirked.

"You fought well, cub. Better than I thought you would," Zucchi said, taking a step towards her. To her credit, she didn't step back. "But it's time to end it now. Enjoy your nap, you've earned it," he said, giving her a nod before he cracked the side of his hand down hard on her skull, causing her to drop like a sack of potatoes. Watching the rise and fall of her back for a moment to make sure he didn't kill her, he scooped her up and flew her out of the middle of the arena, the miniaturization field wearing off as he arrived at the infirmary, where the girl's Uncle Turles was waiting. The medic took her out of Zucchi's arms, looking her over with a critical eye, before absently giving Zucchi a nod and placing her into one of the regeneration tanks they'd taken from the ship they had commandeered in the battle with Frieza. He slipped an oxygen mask over her face and lowered her into the liquid.

"Sleep well, cub. You'll wake up stronger than you've ever been," he told her gruffly, and set the alarm on the regeneration tank before closing the lid.

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Baga was winded, his nose was bleeding, and Heaven just wouldn't _quit_. He had known there was more to her than she appeared, the moment she's said she'd join the Tournament. But… how _much_ more, he hadn't been ready for _that…_

Two things were certain. One was that Heaven had no business serving treats to _anyone_ , not when she could fight like _that_.

The second thing was, Raditz was going to _kill_ him…

"Come on, Baga, you're not getting tired, are you?" Heaven asked, cocking her head. She hadn't expected Baga to be _this_ easy to beat. A thought occurred to her, and she scowled. "You're not going easy on me 'cause I'm a girl, are you? 'Cause if you are, you can stop right now. I can't be the first girl you've ever fought," she said, frustrated. Her muscles were sore, and she was out of breath, but not nearly as bad off as Baga was.

Baga scowled. "I stopped going easy on you an hour ago! You never said you were this good. What the hell kinda move _was_ that?!" he demanded, trying to staunch the bleeding from his face.

Heaven scowled. "Attack me again, and I'll show you," she said seriously. She knew that, no matter how it looked now, a fight could easily turn around any second, and she refused to let herself get distracted. She wanted to get this over with now.

Baga steeled himself, calling up all of his energy, and flew at her again. In less than a second, her foot caught him across the face while her head and torso were flung back, allowing her hand to grip his ankle, as her body landed on top of his, with her legs wrapped around his head, squeezing tightly. Black started to form at the edges of Baga's vision, and he gasped in what little air he could muster. "You're…. choking…."

Heaven rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm choking you. It's called a choke hold. Get out of it. Unless you _like_ my legs around your neck," she said, scowling.

Baga blinked at that, and couldn't help but grin a little. "Maybe," he choked out, causing Heaven's eyes to widen. Suddenly her cheeks went red and she had to resist the urge to release him for pure propriety's sake.

"You ass! Then you deserve everything you're getting. Your fault for not flying away when you had the chance," she said as she squeezed harder. She was determined she was going to prove herself enough to get into the EDS.

Baga gasped. "Why… would… I… fly…?" His head pounded, as he desperately tried to struggle out of her grasp.

Heaven scowled. "You mean you didn't realize? I can't fly, dummy. My father taught me how to fight, not how to WHOOAAH!" Suddenly, they were both starting to lift into the air, Baga turning them around so she was hanging around his neck from her legs only. His eyes were starting to close, but he was intent on getting her off of him. She knew she had to try a different tactic.

Ignoring their steady ascent as best she could, Heaven swung herself up to grab his right thigh. Once she was in position, directly facing the ground beneath them, she began to intensively elbow him right in the kidneys… or at least, where the kidneys would be on a human. Surely _something_ vital had to be there, right?

Soon they began to descend, and Heaven knew she'd be hitting the ground full in the face, but she didn't let up. As the ground got closer and closer, she elbowed him hard once, twice, then-

At the last second, Baga turned his body over, placing her once again on top as they hit the ground. Heaven sat up, her legs still wrapped around his neck, but he was asleep, completely unconscious. Heaven blinked, and released the pressure, standing back up to look at him. She used her toe to move him slightly, to see if he was just pretending, but he didn't move. She frowned. "You turned at the last second to protect me," she said softly, leaning over him. She gave him a soft smile, and gently kissed him on the cheek. "That was sweet."

Then she stood up, and kicked him hard in the leg. "Don't do it again."

Then she walked away in victory.

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Hasky scowled up at the display above the arena from the sidelines. She had the misfortune of going up against Broly during the preliminaries; he was at least nice enough not to break anything before knocking her out. She'd had the feeling Nutz would be joining her soon when Kakarot walked up to her. But something about their fight made her sick to her stomach.

Something had felt odd about the way he whispered to her at the beginning of the match. And the way she viciously attacked, right off the bat, that was even worse, she hadn't seen her fight that way since the Guardians had blocked out her memories of what had happened.

But… the way Kakarot was just _playing_ with her….

"I'll kill him," she seethed, watching the scene play out, as Kakarot baited her, and waited for her to rush at him, then knocked her down like she was nothing.

"It's just a fight, Hasky, you've seen Nutz get beaten before," Snow said, unsure what was going on. Snow had fought against Maiz in the preliminaries, and though she'd held her own admirably, Maiz had the upper hand from the beginning. "Besides, you can't just make threats like that, he _is_ the Royal Guard, King Vegeta would-"

"King Vegeta can kill me later. Kakarot is going to die. This…. this isn't fighting. It's _torture_. He's _torturing_ her in there, I can _feel_ it," she said, her fists clenched. "I can't let this continue," she said, and stepped towards the middle of the arena.

"No! Hasky…" Snow said as she forcibly pushed her friend back. "Think about how Nutz will feel if you interrupt her fight! Won't she be furious?" Hasky wasn't listening, and Snow was quickly realizing how much stronger Hasky was than she was. Snow desperately glanced around for someone, anyone to help.

In seconds, Prince Tarble was standing beside Snow, pushing Hasky back. "Hasky, whatever this is about, it's not worth getting Nutz disqualified from a fight."

"YES IT IS!" Hasky yelled, pushing through both of them, and flying into the middle of the arena. The miniaturization field quickly shrank her down to the size of the other fighters, and she followed Nutz's energy signature until she saw her, barreling her way at Kakarot again. But before he could knock her down, she grabbed his fist, glaring at him. Kakarot's expression was more amused than anything.

Prince Tarble arrived seconds later.

Nutz was growling, about to go after Kakarot again, but Hasky turned her attention to her mate. "Nutz! Nutz, it's okay, I'm here," she said, placing her hands on either side of the Saiyan warrior's face. Nutz blinked, frowning, and for a moment her vision cleared.

"Hasky? But… he had you…" she said, turning her glare to Kakarot.

Kakarot blinked innocently. "I don't know what she's talkin' about," he said with a shrug.

"He was watching! He said! He watched! He-"

"He's an asshole," Hasky said soothingly. "But he's not your problem anymore. _I_ am. I got my ass handed to me, and now I'm starving. Are you hungry, Nutz? I could really go for some of those sweet breads Matou's been making, couldn't you? Don't they smell _amazing_?" she asked, effectively distracting Nutz.

Prince Tarble frowned. "Nutz, if you walk away, you forfeit the-"

"Hasky's hungry," Nutz said in quick reply, as though that should have ended it. She flashed a sultry smile at Hasky. "I take care of _my_ mate," she said, ignoring her own injuries as she scooped Hasky off her feet, holding her close.

"Yes, you do, my love," Hasky said, leaning her head against Nutz's chest as they began to walk away. Surreptitiously, Hasky shot a death-filled glare at Kakarot as they left.

"I'm sorry about that, Kakarot, I tried to stop her," Prince Tarble said in dismay.

Kakarot shrugged. "No problem, Prince Tarble. I had my fun," he said, and flew off to the side of the arena the winners were congregating at.

Prince Tarble frowned at that. That was….

 _Unlike Kakarot._

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Meron regarded the three-eyed warrior for a long moment. "You are the leader of the ones with the turtle shells, are you not?" she asked, trying to get a feel for her opponent.

Tienshinhan glared at the white-haired Saiyan female. "I _was_ their teacher, now I'm starting a new school, the Crane Hermit school." He smirked. "Despite all your best efforts, you'll never truly kill Master Crane, not as long as we remember his teachings," he said, his eyes narrowed.

Meron blinked at that. "So, the ones with turtle shells, you no longer teach them? The two girls that came here before?"

"You mean the _traitors_?! No, I have nothing to do with them, or any other enemies of humanity," he spat in reply.

Meron gave a nod. "Good. I enjoy profiting from the mistakes of fools. Let's see how many more mistakes you can make," she said with a smirk.

Suddenly, the two fighters vanished from their starting positions and punched each other in the face, sending each other sprawling to the ground. In no time they were both of already back on their feet before the sound of their fighting could reach the other fighters.

'This is it. This is where my training pays off. Time to show that I'm just as strong as any saiyan!' Tien thought to himself as he launched forward, aiming a kick at his opponent's head with his right leg.

Meron blocked the kick easily, smirking as she redirected the kick to her left and attempted to strike at Tien's ribs with a haymaker. Being only slightly surprised, Tien twisted out of the way of the haymaker and used the momentum of the spin to land a kick at Meron's face with his left leg. The force knocked her to the ground, where she had to roll out of the way of a punch aimed at her stomach. Tien wasn't letting up the advantage he had.

Meron was quick to her feet, and blocked yet another kick to her head. This time she was prepared, and instead of going for an attack, she waited. That small time she spent waiting caused Tien to start falling towards the ground, allowing her to kick him into the air. A cry of pain came from Tien as he was launched into the air. Meron followed behind him, quickly flying past him and performed an overhead swing. Tien was sent back into the ground where the dirt around him kicked up into a small fog. Meron flying into it and the sound of her leg impacting the dirt could be heard.

Suddenly the dirt cloud was pushed away as Tien was enveloped by his ki. This unleased a shockwave, temporarily stunning Meron, and allowing Tien to unleash a relentless assault of quick punches and kicks to her body. Grabbing her by the face, he slammed her into the ground to finish it before dashing back and waiting for retaliation.

Meron slowly stood up, only looking slightly worse for wear and looking a bit out of breath. She smirked. This human was pretty good. He might be fun to fight with after all.

Another shockwave erupted from the arena, this time coming from Meron. Not holding back as much of her power as she had before, she rocketed forward. Tien grimaced as he prepared for whatever Meron had up her sleeve.

A kick aimed towards his chest was quickly stopped. Tien moved to block the attack, only to realize his mistake as Meron's leg was sent between his legs, hooking around, and landing on his back as Meron's leg sent him head first into the dirt, embedding his head and upper body into the ground. His legs flailed around in the air for a brief moment before the dirt surrounding him was sent flying by a burst of ki, releasing him and sending dirt into Meron's eyes. Meron held her eyes, hissing in pain as she desperately tried to see again.

Instead of going on the offensive again, Tien could only use the time Meron's brief blindness bought him to cough the dirt out of his lungs and catch his breath as he watched Meron get the dirt out of her eyes. Both of them recovered at the same time.

The two warriors looked at each other and nodded, an unspoken agreement that the fight was back on.

Tien barely had time to gasp as he saw Meron disappear. Even his three eyes couldn't keep up with her speed, and he was forced to duck as a kick flew over his head. He felt his head burn slightly as the friction caused by the narrow miss made his skin feel as if it was on fire. A retaliation kick sent towards his opponent was easily blocked, leaving him open to a punch that he had to block with both hands. He was sent across the arena as Meron spun in his grip and landed yet another blow to his head with her legs. Meron flew towards him to catch up.

'No! I won't lose... This might kill me but I won't lose here!' Tien thought to himself as he grabbed a punch sent his way and slammed the body the arm he grabbed was attached to into the ground.

Stomping onto his opponent's leg and hearing a cry of pain, Tien put his hands into a triangle shape, preparing his ultimate technique.

"SHIN KIKOHO!" Tien shouted in rage as the beam that says 'Fuck you' to geometry impacted his opponent and caused the dirt to blind him this time.

'It's over...I won...' Tien thought to himself as he tried to catch his breath. It worked. He was winded. But he had wo-

"Not bad."

Tien could barely register the voice behind him before everything went dark as the kick to the back of his head knocked him out, sending him flying out of the dirt cloud.

Meron looked over her unconscious opponent with a smirk. He had provided a decent challenge, and she knew of a few Saiyans he could have easily beaten. If this had been Tasha and Maaya's teacher, then she was even more determined to see what progress they had made. These humans had surprised her today, and as the leader of the EDS, she now had so many more ideas for how to train their human members.

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'Sammy Black' looked down at the now unconscious form of Parsi. The woman had given a good accounting of herself, and he was certain he'd be feeling a lot of the lumps she'd given him in the morning, but he'd promised to give her a real fight, and he'd done so, finishing their bout quickly, and with as little display of his strength as possible, aware that there was video record of their matches. The real Sammy Black had cheated to get past Parsi, and after facing her in battle, he felt that would have been something she would have been deeply offended by. He was glad he was able to beat her honestly, at least she would be spared the shame of losing to a swindler.

He didn't feel even remotely guilty for snapping the man's neck before taking his place.

Knowing her body would be collected after all the fighters were finished, 'Sammy Black' walked out of the arena.


	16. The Tournament, Part 7

_**A/N: Intermission! Due to writer's block, folks, I needed to get a bit of fluff down, so we're having an intermission in the Tournament. Next chapter the Semi-finals will begin!**_

Drums and singing vibrated the stones of the arena, as humans and Saiyans alike prepared for the next round. It was nearing time for the semifinals, and the crowd was ready to see a _true_ battle. Men, women, and children joined in, their rhythmic voices sounding very much like the sounds of war. King Vegeta looked on, amazed at how the humans had taken something so intensely _saiyan_ as their own. Even though their own king had lost his most recent battle against one of the saiyan hybrids, still they cheered for the fighters to come. Yes, even the Ox King was there, singing, his rich baritone adding depth to the excitement around them.

Just as he had sung for him at his coronation.

 _Yes,_ Vegeta thought to himself. _These are_ all _my people…_

"So are you actually going to compete this time?" his mate's voice cut into his thoughts from behind him. He turned to regard her; her blue eyes were twinkling with mischief, even though her tone and the hands on her hips spoke of challenge. She did this to him on purpose, he knew; not just because it was her nature to speak her mind, but because, on some level, she liked him when he was riled up. It was a game Vegeta understood, and it was easy to play along; especially because, he also like _her_ riled up. He pushed the thoughts of just what he planned to do with her later aside, scowling so as not to spoil the game.

"Now that the decent fighters have risen to the top, I might find _something_ of a challenge," he told her, crossing his arms, his voice smug.

Bulma raised an eyebrow at that. "Even the human ones?" she asked, taking pleasure in Vegeta's startled expression.

" _Humans_ made it into the semifinals?" he asked dubiously, frowning. Had his people been that weak? Or was it a fluke of the computer program Bulma had created to organize the fights?

"That's right, _humans_ ," Bulma said, smirking. "Chao and Chu-Lee from the EDS," she said, causing Vegeta to nod, "…Sammy Black and Heaven Sora from the Ox Kingdom, and Maaya from the Turtle Hermit School," she added, causing him to frown.

"Turtle… _what_?" Vegeta asked, non-plussed.

Bulma raised an eyebrow at that. "Turtle Hermit School. Actually, I think I might know her teacher. I know Kakarot does. If I remember right, he offered to train Kakarot, but then Kakarot wished his family back to life, so he never took the Turtle Hermit up on his offer," she mused. Then she smirked. "I guess you'll be able to see first hand if she's any good… you go up against her for your first bout of the semifinals," she said, her eyes watching him carefully.

Suddenly, Vegeta realized why she had brought it up. Inwardly, he sighed… this was _not_ destined to be a good night for him after all. If the girl had been a Saiyan, he would have just trounced her, and no one would think twice; hell, the girl would probably have been honored to have had the chance to fight against the King himself. But these humans had a whole different set of values. Bulma often rotated between being incensed at him for being too hard on the humans, to being offended when he treated them any differently than a Saiyan. It was irrational, but then, Bulma was _always_ that.

But he would not walk on egg shells. Either the humans wanted to be measured by saiyan standards, or they admitted their inferiority. "Then she'll get a beating," he said coldly, scowling as he looked out at the arena. "But after that, my _next_ fight, had better be a _challenge_. Or next time, _I'm_ choosing the fights," he said, his eyes narrowed.

Bulma narrowed her eyes back at him. "There is _nothing_ wrong with my system, so don't even go _there_. This girl fought, and won, against the Ox Kingdom's fighters, and one of the Saiyan hybrids, in order to get to the semifinals. She's earned her place. And don't worry… you'll get your fight against Kakarot, as long as he makes it through the semifinals," she said, crossing her arms.

Vegeta smirked at that. _As if there was any chance of Kakarot_ not _making it through the semifinals…_

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The Ox King gazed around him, entranced. These people… _his people_ … they were like Saiyans in this time period. They sang saiyan songs, they got excited about the battle, they even threw their bones into the middle of the arena, a custom he had learned from Prince Vegeta to be geared towards enticing the fighters to fight harder with the smell of food. And how _happy_ they all seemed. His grandfather had once told him that the Ox Kingdom had found kindred spirits with the Saiyans, before everything went all to hell. The younger Ox King wanted, now more than ever, to protect this. He _had_ to succeed in his mission.

His eyes found Kakarot, who was stretching for whomever he faced when the fighting began. The matchups for the semifinals hadn't been announced yet, but the Ox King knew it would be _him_ who faced Kakarot next. _Soon, Kakarot_ , he thought to himself, glaring at the Saiyan. _Soon you'll pay…_

"Something isn't right," a voice said from behind him, and the Ox King spun around to see a girl with feathers and bones in her black braids, silver almond-shaped eyes, and horns protruding out the sides of her head. He had noticed her watching him before, and was concerned she'd seen through his disguise as Baga had. However, she'd kept her distance, until now…

The Ox King slouched a bit more, and asked, "What is it, little girl?" hoping she'd think him a normal human.

The girl frowned slightly, and gestured to Kakarot. "Him. He isn't right," she said, and pulled out a small polished mirror from her robes. As the Ox King watched, the reflection in the mirror rippled, and suddenly, he could see what looked like a purple alien with black horns wearing Saiyan armor. He blinked, then looked back at the girl, who was looking straight into his eyes. "Vengeance is yours, Gohan. Know your enemy," she told him, her gaze intense.

Then she pressed two fingers to her forehead, and disappeared.

The Ox King's eyes were wide as he stared at the spot she had just left. "Wait… _what?!"_

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Tanmen made her way through the crowd with a ceramic jug full of something that smelled like raw meat blended with seaweed and lime. She did her best to hide her grimace, careful not to spill a drop as she dodged fighters and spectators alike, enjoying the revelry. She was so focused on her task, she almost didn't see Prince Tarble until she felt his breath in her ear. "Hello, Tanmen," he said to her, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin.

Narrowly avoiding dropping the jug, she turned and glared at him. "Prince Tarble! You almost made me drop Queen Bulma's _smoothie_ ," she said, unable to keep the grimace off her face when she used that word to describe the contents of the jug.

A twinkle of mirth appeared in Prince Tarble's eyes, but he took a step back. "I apologize, Tanmen. I thought you saw me," he said, eyebrow raised.

Tanmen chided herself. "No, _I'm_ sorry, Prince Tarble, I should have seen you, I was just trying not to spill this. Queen Bulma needs to drink three of these a day, and it's almost time for her second one," she said.

Tarble's eyes bore into hers. "I'm glad that you've been taking such good care of Bulma," he told her. "But, you should have spoken to me before agreeing to be her Royal Guard," he said, frowning slightly.

Tanmen scowled. "What do you mean? It was my decision to make," she said, knowing that in some human cultures, husbands were extremely controlling of their wive's decisions, and hoping saiyan culture wasn't like that. She would _not_ be controlled.

"It creates a potential conflict of interests," Tarble said, stepping closer to her to make their conversation more private. "If anything happens to the Queen-"

"- Then I die," Tanmen said, scowling. "I know the risks, and I accept them gladly," she said proudly.

Tarble scowled. "And then my brother will have killed my mate," he told her darkly. "Do you see that ending in anything but war?" he asked, his voice insistent.

Tanmen's eyes widened. She hadn't thought of that. Saiyans had a very strict honor system, revenge for wrongs done to you _had_ to be taken, lest other Saiyans start to think you're weak and take whatever you have. Tarble was weaker than his brother, but had an incredibly powerful Royal Guard; a battle forced between them would be a battle for the throne, it would throw everything into chaos. "I… I'm sorry… I didn't think of that…" she said, frowning. Then she sighed. "I'll just have to make extra sure nothing happens to Queen Bulma, then," she said, her gaze determined.

"It can be undone," Prince Tarble said. "King Vegeta didn't know you were mine, once he realizes, he'll -"

"Don't you dare!" Tanmen said, scowling as she stepped closer to him, keeping her voice down. "I don't want anyone else protecting Queen Bulma but me, no one else will stand up to her, and I don't trust anyone else to make sure she does everything the doctor ordered. Queen Bulma is _my_ responsibility, and I will see to it that she and her baby thrive. King Vegeta doesn't _have_ to stake my life on it… _I will_ ," she vowed, her blue eyes dark. "If anything happens to Queen Bulma, I'll take my _own_ life. Then you won't have to worry about a war or trying to kill your own brother," she said to him, scowling.

Prince Tarble's eyes widened at that, and she started to push past him to go on her way. However, he held her back by her elbow, careful not to make her spill the drink she was carrying. She could feel his breath on her skin as he whispered to her, "Never say those words to me again, Tanmen. It would kill me to see you die."

Tanmen blushed, and turned to say something back, but as she did, his lips met hers, and she melted into a deep kiss, nearly losing her grip on the ceramic jug.

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Matou was standing over Baga when he came to. Baga groaned, feeling very much like someone was stomping on his head over and over. "Wha-" he asked thickly, as his eyes slowly began to open.

Matou grunted, and pressed a bowl to his lips, which he drank from. "You got your ass handed to you by that girl," he said, narrowing his eyes at him. "A human girl, who couldn't even _fly_ ," he added wryly.

Baga winced, groaning again. "Shit… Raditz is gonna-"

"Kick your ass," a voice interrupted, and Baga's worst fears came true as his vision cleared, and he saw his brother standing in the infirmary, leaning against a wall. "When this tournament is over, you're getting special training from me. I won't rest until you get your head out of your ass long enough to protect it," he growled, arms crossed.

Baga groaned again. "Look… it wasn't like that… I couldn't just press my advantage like that on-"

"Are you saying you let me win?" Heaven's voice asked, and Baga's eyes widened as he saw her step out from behind Raditz. _Shit, how many people were in here?!_ Baga thought. "Because if that's what you're saying, I'll go demand a rematch right now," she said, her arms crossed as she glared at him.

Baga paled. He was surrounded on all sides. "No… I didn't let you win… shoulda let you smash your face into the ground, though," he said glumly.

Heaven smirked at that, and walked over to him, pressing a small tin into his hands. "I got this for you for after the Tournament, but I think you deserve it now. Sorry for getting you in trouble," she said, giving him a smile before turning and leaving the infirmary.

Baga watched her go, then opened the tin curiously. It was filled with the fudge pieces that he liked so much, that he always stopped off at Maggie's for. He smirked down at the tin, feeling very much like he'd actually _won_ his last match, instead of losing miserably.

Raditz watched the whole thing, and traded a look with Matou, who raised an eyebrow in 'I told you so' fashion. Raditz rolled his eyes, and stepped closer to the bed Baga was laying on, and stole one of his pieces of fudge. Popping it into his mouth, his eyes widened, and he looked down at Baga. "Well… I can teach you how to protect yourself from everyone but _her_ , at least," he said, shrugging.

Baga scowled in confusion (and partly because Raditz had stolen some of his fudge). "What do you mean? She's not _that_ strong," he said, starting to become offended that Raditz saw such little potential in him.

"Hn. That female's chosen you, Baga. No way to defend yourself against _that_ ," he said, making a grab for more fudge.

Baga tried in vain to block him, but Raditz was too fast. "What? No, it's not like that at all, she's just a friend," he insisted, scowling.

Raditz smirked at that wryly. "Not for long, she's not," he said, and turned to face something else in the room… when Baga looked, he saw that it was the regeneration tank.

And there was a girl floating in it, her mass of black spikey hair floating weightlessly behind her.

"Ruta? Damn… who'd _she_ lose to?" Baga asked, not noticing Matou when he left.

"Zucchi," Raditz said, his face expressionless. "She stood bravely against a Saiyan ten times stronger than she was, and still gave a good accounting of herself," he said, nodding to his unconscious sister with pride. "While you were taking a dirt nap courtesy of your human _sweetheart_ ," he said, using one of the words his mate liked to use to tease him. He cast a glance at his youngest brother, his eyes hard. "I won't let weakness take another member of my family, Baga. You're gonna get stronger, or die at my hand. I won't let you suffer the same fate as Maca," he said, his eyes narrowed, as he turned and left.

Baga swallowed. They had all coped with Maca's death in their own way. Typically, a weak Saiyan dying was not mourned. Truthfully, Baga had expected Maca to die pissing off Kakarot or something, not dying to her _prey_. Ruta was pissed off all the time, but she was _usually_ pretty grumpy, having inherited their oldest brother's temperament, so it was hard to tell if she was mourning, or if it was Thursday. But Raditz, it seemed, had decided that the right thing to do was kick the shit out of _him_ until he was as strong as Ruta.

 _Fun._

With a sigh, Baga reached into the tin, and put one of the fudge pieces in his mouth. _Okay… maybe she_ does _love me..._ he thought to himself.

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"Okay, attention spec- oh, _kami,_ what the hell is this stuff?!" Queen Bulma's voice came over the intercom, amid sputtering and the sound of Tanmen telling her she just had one more of those to drink today. "Matou, your drinks taste like vomit wrapped in sadness! Try again!" she said, her face appearing large in the sky above the arena.

On the sidelines, a voice called up towards the image, "Take it up with Turles! That's not MY recipe!"

Laughter rumbled around them, but the crowd soon died down when Queen Bulma spoke again. "Anyway, it's time to announce the matchups for the semi-finals!" she said, smiling as she typed something on a computer screen. Suddenly, her image was replaced by the images of fighters, two at a time. "As promised, King Vegeta will be joining in the fighting during the semi-finals. And facing off against him will be… Maaya from the Turtle Hermit School of Martial Arts!" she announced.

The noise from the stadium was a mixture of stunned silence and confusion, mixed with some sardonic remarks. However, in one tiny section of the stadium, a group of small children with turtle shells on their backs cheered, obviously for whoever this Maaya person was.

Pushing forward, Queen Bulma continued. "Next on the list is Zucchi of planet Vegeta, versus Brusl of the North City hybrids!" she said, amidst much louder applause, particularly from members of the Ox Kingdom… Zucchi apparently had quite a few fans from his last bout. Or, at least a decent number of people who were betting heavily on him after the fiasco with Violet in this same arena.

"After that, we have Chao of the Earth Defense Squad, versus Legu of the North City hybrids!" she announced, and a number of female voices could be heard, as the members of the EDS who hadn't made the semifinals cheered for the ones who did. "Then, High Priest Saru of the moon of Lunarius, versus Royal Guard Broly of the planet Vegeta!" she said, amidst thunderous applause the moment she mentioned Broly, who was clearly a fan favorite.

"Then we have Royal Guard Kakarot of the planet Vegeta, versus Sammy Black of the Ox Kingdom!" she said, and the crowd went wild again, all wanting to see Kakarot in action. "Next, we have Chiaotzu of the Crane Hermit School of Martial Arts, versus Chu-Lee of the Earth Defense Squad!" she called, and the applause was somewhat muted, though all of the EDS were shouting at the tops of their lungs.

"Then we have Commander Meron of the Earth Defense Squad, versus Heaven Sora of the Ox Kingdom!" she announced, and the applause took on some interesting notes, as there was strangely more men shouting, and they were more cat-calling than anything else. Meron had so far not taken a mate, and while most of the Ox Kingdom's males were far too intimidated to approach her, they _did_ tend to spectate a lot during EDS training. " _Kami_ , you men are pigs!" Queen Bulma responded, bringing a raucous laughter from the audience.

" _Whatever_ , next, we've got Zuri of the planet Vegeta, versus Mung of the North City hybrids! Then, it's Korn of Space… Space? Really?" Queen Bulma asked someone off-speaker. "What do you mean he wouldn't give his planet of origin? It's a simple enough question!" Whoever they couldn't hear said something else, then Queen Bulma sighed. "Korn, you _dumbass_. Fine. We have Korn of _space_ … _lame_ … versus Chicori of Planet Vegeta!" she announced, and there was quite a bit of laughter and cheering, as Korn was already a favorite among the Ox Kingdom spectators, and Chicori was a powerful fighter in her own right.

"Then, we have Raditz of the planet Vegeta, versus Supina of the North City hybrids!" the queen announced, amidst the audience's cheers. "Next, it's Celere of the North City hybrids, versus Kale of… the North City hybrids. Wow, a lot of hybrids made it into the semifinals," she added, and cheering could be heard from other hybrids who hadn't made it into the semifinals, though no one else seemed to know who they were.

"Okay, then we've got Duri of the planet Elvari, versus Gula of the planet Vegeta! Hope _that_ doesn't put a damper on their love life…. Then, last but not least, we have Maiz of the planet Vegeta, versus Sprout of the North City hybrids!" she announced, and the crowd cheered once again.

Up on the balcony, Bulma sighed as she sat back down next to Launch. "I swear, these people," she said, shaking her head at Launch. "They always cheer for the men, I don't know what it is," she complained.

"They seemed to cheer for Meron pretty loudly," Tanmen pointed out, handing the half-finished drink to Bulma. "You have to drink _all_ of it, Your Highness," she reminded her.

Bulma glared at the drink, and forced another sip down, shuddering. "They only cheer for her because they wish they had a shot with her," she said, shaking her head. "She's like a movie star to them. Beautiful and single and completely out of their reach. Of _course_ they cheer!"

Launch smirked softly at that, her expression still subdued from all her crying. "You should have seen the Ox King flirt with her," she said softly, and Bulma and Tanmen turned to her, eyes wide.

"What? When did this happen?" Bulma demanded curiously.

Launch raised an eyebrow at that. "Four months ago," she said. "In fact… it was just before I sneezed last time. He had been speaking to King Vegeta about something, then the Commander came to report to the king, and when he left, the Ox King had started to talk to her. It was precious… he said that she was very beautiful, and asked if she were thinking of settling down…" she said, smiling softly at the memory.

Tanmen and Bulma gazed at her, eyes wide. "Then what happened?" Tanmen asked, entranced.

Launch narrowed her eyes at the two of them. "Then I sneezed, and everyone let me stay asleep for four months straight!" she said, scowling.

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Maaya and Tasha sat wedged between two Saiyans, Zuri and Orin, in the mess hall, a large feast before them. After the announcement of the lineup, the fighters had all been dismissed to eat, something that Saiyans apparently did both before and after a big battle. Chu-Lee and Chao sat across from them, sitting with their backs to the food, as if to keep anyone from coming along to steal it… or to harass them. The mess hall was filled with people, and the EDS warriors had been instructed by Meron to protect Maaya until her fight… as there would be _many_ who would wish to quarrel with her.

"I can't believe you get to fight _King Vegeta,_ " Zuri said, for the fifth time, earning an eye-roll from Chao and a glare from Orin.

"You wanna say it louder? I don't think the _spice lady_ heard you," Orin growled, referring to Mrs. Alva, the old human lady who had nearly been executed for poisoning King Vegeta. After she had been exonerated, the old woman had gotten a bit of a fan following, due in part to the way she'd faced such a thing, as well as her personal battle against death by old age. Saiyans generally avoided growing old, but they were all about making death fight tooth and nail for the privilege of taking them down. There was currently a betting pool to see how much longer the old woman could hold out. Needless to say, if the half-deaf old woman could hear something, so could anyone else with ears…

"Everyone heard… Queen Bulma announced it," Zuri responded, rolling her eyes.

"Um… just a question, but… this isn't a fight to the death or anything, is it?" Tasha asked nervously, concerned for her friend. She had a black eye and a nasty cut across her cheek, and the way she moved, it was obvious the rest of her was just as tender. However, she'd done well enough in her battle against Zuri for the Saiyan girl to tolerate her presence, at least.

Zuri snickered at that. "You walked away from your matches so far, haven't you?" she said, casting her a sideways glance as she bit into a large leg of roasted lamb. She was sporting a few bruises of her own, thanks to Tasha, but refused to show any sign of pain.

"Tournament rules prevent you from killing your opponent," Chao said, glancing behind her towards them as she spoke. "King Vegeta won't break his own rules," she said.

"Why is everyone glaring at us?" Maaya asked between bites of food, which Orin kept insisting she eat.

"Fighting King Vegeta is a great honor for the Saiyans," Chu-lee said, her soft voice and demeanor a stark contrast from the harsh words and looks the girls had begun to receive once the announcements were made. "They all want to prove their strength to the king. But you're a human. It wouldn't be so bad if you were from the EDS, or even part of the Ox Kingdom," she said, turning sideways so that she was at least partially facing the girls. Not that she could see them anyway… "But, because you're outsiders, it doesn't matter to you if the king thinks you're strong. And, because you're not at least as strong as King Vegeta, it isn't even a fair fight. So everyone thinks it's a _wasted_ fight," the blind girl explained.

Maaya thought about that a moment, then scowled. "You're right," she said, frowning as she stood up, a scowl on her face. "I _don't_ care if King Vegeta thinks I'm strong," she said, earning the attention of everyone near her. "What I do care about is if _I_ think I'm strong. King Vegeta is supposed to be the strongest person on this planet! What better way to test what I can really do, than fighting against the strongest?" she asked, raising her voice as she glared at everyone watching her. "If you all want to go up against King Vegeta so badly, then fight with everything you have, and make it past the semifinals! Until then, just wait your turn!" she said crossly.

Tasha's eyes were wide, and she stood up to protect her friend if everyone started to attack them.

But what happened is that everyone suddenly stood up and saluted, facing her.

No… facing _behind_ her.

Maaya and Tasha turned to see what everyone else saw. King Vegeta was standing there, in the rear entrance to the mess hall, his arms crossed as he looked her over. He stepped towards her, ignoring everyone else. "You. Are you the human Maaya?" he asked gruffly, narrowing his eyes as he took her in.

Maaya stood a bit straighter, then, and said simply, "I am."

King Vegeta grunted. "You'd better not be wearing that stupid turtle shell on your back when we fight," he said, referring to the heavy shell she was currently wearing.

Maaya blinked at that. She hadn't been wearing the turtle shell during her last fights, but she doubted the king had probably even watched them. "No, King Vegeta. I won't be holding _anything_ back when I fight you," she said, her expression determined.

He regarded her for a long moment before he spoke. "See that you don't," he said finally, then turned and left the mess hall.

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Heaven Sora found her mother in the crowd, selling the last of the tiny white sugary balls they'd spent all night preparing. When her mother saw her, she ran to her side, the almost empty tray in her hands all but forgotten. "Oh, Heaven, you were amazing!" Maggie said, pulling her daughter into an embrace. "You aren't hurt or anything, are you?" she asked, pulling back to look at Heaven with a critical eye.

Heaven laughed. "No, I'm fine, mother, just bruises, I've had worse," she said, her eyes shining. "I came to see if you needed any more help now that my fight's over," she said seriously.

Maggie frowned at her. "Heaven, today is your day, I told you I didn't expect you to worry about work today, and I mean it. Go enjoy your friends and watch the Tournament! I can't give you much, child, but I can give you one day of having fun," she said, scowling.

"Heaven Sora," a woman's voice said, and both Maggie and Heaven turned to see a Saiyan female with white hair approach them, tail wrapped around her waist. Heaven stepped forward, knowing that Saiyans weren't usually much for pleasantries.

"I'm Heaven Sora," she replied, wondering who the woman was and what this was all about. She had seen her in passing, but the only Saiyan she really knew was Baga, and more recently, Matou.

The woman raised an eyebrow at that, looking the girl over. "You fought against Baga," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Did he let you win?" she asked.

Heaven scowled at the implication, but spoke truthfully. "He says he didn't. He could have let me get hurt more than I did, but I still would have beaten him. He's strong, but he's easily distracted," she said, her eyes fierce as she spoke. She knew Saiyans didn't like any kind of lying, and they didn't usually care that much about manners, not the way that humans did.

Meron looked the girl over. "You fight me in the semifinals," she said, frowning. "I am _not_ easily distracted. You are going to lose," she said simply.

Heaven stepped forward, scowling. "If you're trying to scare me off, it won't work. I don't care if you're a Saiyan, I'm going to fight you with everything I have!" she said.

" _Heaven!_ " her mother cut in, scowling. "That is _not_ how you talk to people! Apologize immediately!" Maggie commanded her daughter.

Before Heaven could do so, Meron turned to Maggie. "Your daughter has committed no offense. She knows our ways," she said, and cast Heaven a smirk. "I expect you to follow through with your words, young human," she said, and gave another look at Maggie. "Is today the only day your cub is permitted to fight?" she asked the woman.

Maggie glanced at her daughter apologetically. "We really can't afford for this to be a daily thing. She has three young brothers at home, it isn't easy to keep them all fed, since her father died in the battle with those aliens," she said, feeling terrible, but knowing the practicality of the matter all too well.

Meron's eyes went wide at that, and she cast Heaven a confused glance. "Can this girl not simply hunt for you? She is strong enough to take down a Saiyan, the local animals should be no trouble," she said.

Heaven looked down at that. "It's not strength, it's speed. By the time I got far enough outside of the Ox Kingdom to hunt anything that didn't belong to someone else, and then back again, a day would have passed. Besides, baking all the goods for the shop is hard work, and Mama needs all the help she can get," she said, a blend of disappointment and resignation in her features.

Meron reached out and lifted the girl's chin, so that her eyes met the Saiyan's. "If this is not the life you want, cub, then change it," she said, her eyes hard. "Get faster. Get stronger. Get _smarter_. The aliens that killed your father could have been stopped, if we had more strong fighters to protect this planet. Getting food for your family should not be your greatest concern. Your greatest concern should be their protection," she said, and scowled. "When you fight me, you will show me how fast you can go. And then, you will learn to go _faster_ ," Meron said, leaning forward. "Time to take charge, cub," she said, and with that, she turned on her heel and left.

Maggie blinked at that. "What on Earth do you think she meant?" she asked, eyes wide.

Heaven watched her go, deep in thought. Baga had told her that Saiyans usually listened to the strongest members of their family, even if they weren't the oldest. Heaven wasn't sure she agreed with that reasoning, but wondered what it would be like, if she _was_ in charge of her family. What would she do differently than her mother? Would they still struggle like they were?

If she were faster, and stronger… could she make sure they never struggled? Could she protect them?

Without her father there to do it… did she really have a choice?

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Saru gazed down at the canyon in which they lived from above. He didn't blame Raditz's cub Beet for picking such a spot to think. The semifinals were due to start soon, and he was preparing his mind for his battle against Prince Tarble's royal guard, Broly. The young man had been born with tremendous power, power which was exacerbated by his father's machinations, devious though they may have been. What others had worked hard to achieve, Broly excelled at naturally. If given enough time and powerful opponents, there was no doubt he could acquire enough power to challenge the gods themselves.

But he was still a boy. And Saru knew quite a bit more about what their species could do than any other living Saiyan.

He heard the sound of feet gently landing on the ground behind him, but did not turn around. His apprentice had been spending more and more time with that human girl, Snow, and while he didn't let it cut into his training, it did seem to interfere with his meditations. He had thought of setting the boy straight, but decided against it. The days when they were the last two Saiyans on a dying planet were over. And Maiz did not have to carry the burden of Saru's knowledge alone… Sadala was an equally promising apprentice, possessing knowledge well beyond her years, some of which even Saru did not know.

But… Sadala was not a true Saiyan. And while she was powerful in her own right, there were things Saru needed to pass down, that could not be achieved by someone with mixed blood.

"Master… forgive me for disturbing your meditations," Maiz said softly, and Saru waited for him to continue. "I just wanted to know, do you plan to use _that form_ in your fight with Broly?" he asked.

Saru smirked. "Broly is the legendary Super Saiyan, I'm certain of it. The one who was born to the ability. The one whose birth would herald the rebirth of the Saiyan race. King Vegeta's father was so far removed from the War Path, he did not know a prophecy when it stared him in the face," he said, with a deep chuckle. "But if Broly is to symbolize our rebirth, he must first defeat what came before." He turned to Maiz, gazing into the boy's red eyes, the eyes of the Oozaru. "It is for them to seek out the new. It is for us to remind them of the old," he said, turning back around to face the canyon. "I will not rest until I have passed on _all_ of my knowledge."

Maiz frowned, scowling, but kept his gaze low. "And… if you defeat him… will you then use it against the King?" he asked.

Saru grunted at that. "If King Vegeta is a true Saiyan, then he will stop at nothing _to_ face that form in battle," he said, smirking. "It will be a glorious battle indeed…"

Maiz stepped forward. "And… if you win?" he asked.

Saru scowled. "If King Vegeta cannot find a way to defeat his people's past… then he is _not_ our king."

Silence fell between them for a long moment, before Maiz spoke once more. "Sadala said something…. _odd_ , earlier," he said.

Saru raised an eyebrow at that. " _Everything_ your sister says is odd," he replied. Then, instinct telling him Maiz wouldn't have brought it up if not important, he cast a glance back at his apprentice. "What did she say?" he asked dubiously.

Maiz frowned. "She said, she was leaving the Ox Kingdom… to find Kakarot," he said.

"And? Kakarot probably went off on one of his little jaunts into the wilderness, she probably didn't want him to miss his fight…" Saru said, realizing as he did so that Sadala was usually less than interested in what everyone else happened to be doing.

"But, that's just it, Master…" Maiz said, looking Saru in the eyes. "When she said it… she was looking right at him. She told me to give you this, and to prepare the blood," he said, handing Saru a mirror.

It looked like a plain mirror, with a sharp point at the top. But Saru could feel the energies within it, generations of energy. He frowned, and called up his own energy. "Show me the last thing you saw," he commanded it, his voice low and guttural. The mirror obliged, its image wavering slightly, until he saw…

Saru scowled, and turned his eyes to Maiz. "Bring me a bowl. It seems we are not finished killing Frieza's men…"

 _ **A/N: Okay, so pushing through this writer's block! Next chapter will have actual fights, I promise! Not ALL of the fights will be featured, though I will say who won them. Why don't you guys (if you're still with me) tell me which of the matches Queen Bulma announced you want to see most of all? That way, I'll be sure to include those.**_

 _ **Thanks for your patience, guys! Almost there! (Not even NAMEK took this long…!)**_


	17. Vegeta VS Maaya

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long, readers. Lots going on right now. I make no promises about my updates, just know that I'm doing my best, and they will come out when I get those rare moments where I don't have a million other things do to. Side note? Moving SUCKS!**

 **I give you….**

 **Vegeta VS Maaya**

Maaya stood in the middle of the arena, intensely aware of every eye being on her. Next to her stood a woman with blue hair in an elaborate hairstyle, wearing a blue leotard with white and gold armor covering her barest essentials. She wore a scouter over one eye, had a microphone in her hand, and a very annoyed look on her face. She glanced at Maaya. "Well, Maaya, while we're waiting for King Vegeta to _grace us with his presence_ …" she said, glaring around her, looking around once more for her very late husband, "why don't you tell us what's up with the turtle shell?" she asked, turning her gaze back to Maaya.

Maaya raised an eyebrow at that, then suddenly her eyes widened. "Oh, no, I forgot I still had it on!" she said, blushing furiously as she pulled it off, letting it land to the hard ground with a loud _thud_. "Uh, it's just for training, to make us stronger," she said, a bit flustered now with all these eyes on her.

Queen Bulma's eyes widened when she watched the girl drop the obviously heavy turtle shell. She smirked. "Well, you've done quite well in your fights so far, so I imagine it must be good training," she responded, pressing a button on her scouter as she said so. Her smile widened. " _Very_ good training," she said, her eyes dancing. "I understand you've gotten the cold shoulder by everyone here ever since it was announced that you would be fighting King Vegeta. So… is there anything you'd like to say to the spectators before your big battle?" she asked, handing the girl the microphone.

Maaya seemed thoughtful for a moment, then nodded, taking the microphone. "I'd like to say, that a lot of people out there don't trust the Saiyans," she said softly, causing silence followed by murmuring in the audience. She continued. "You hear all about it on the radio. People are scared, and it's easy for them to think that, since the other aliens attacked us, then _all aliens_ are a threat. Your culture is a lot different than ours, and you're stronger than us, so all of that adds to the fear. People are so afraid, that some of them are even banding together against you," she said, scowling. "To tell you the truth, until recently, the Turtle Hermit School of Martial Arts was doing just that. Training so that one day, we could take the Saiyans down," she said, setting her jaw against the boos and shouts of outrage coming from the people of the Ox Kingdom. Strangely enough, the Saiyans didn't look that upset, and a few of them actually snickered. "Of all the things Master Tienshinhan taught us, there is one thing that I believe was right. Protecting the Earth is _our_ job, _not_ the Saiyans'. I don't believe the Saiyans are trying to take over the Earth; I think you would have done it already if you wanted to. But it took Saiyans to protect us from the last alien attack, and that means, if we're gonna protect ourselves, we need to be _at least_ as strong as Saiyans. So that's why I'm glad I get to fight your king today. 'Cause if we're gonna train ourselves to be ready for the next attack… we need to know where to set the bar," she said grimly, her eyes fierce.

Silence fell over the arena… and then a few people began to cheer, followed by others, and soon the entire arena had burst out in cheers. Maaya's eyes went wide, as she hadn't expected that reaction, and she turned back to Queen Bulma in confusion, her eyes going even wider.

Standing directly behind the Queen was King Vegeta, his dark eyes fierce as he regarded her. "Woman… get out of the arena," he said gruffly.

Queen Bulma rolled her eyes, taking the microphone from Maaya, and turning towards him. "Well, _so sorry_ , we were forced to entertain ourselves while you got your _beauty sleep_. It was either that, or rule the fight in Maaya's favor, since contestants who _don't show up for their fights_ automatically **_forfeit!_** " she hissed vehemenently.

King Vegeta smirked at her, leaning into her personal space. "Out. Of. The. Arena," he repeated dangerously, and his power level began to spike up, causing her scouter to beep.

Knowing what was coming, Queen Bulma huffed in annoyance. " _Fine_. You're lucky I'm in a good mood," she said, scowling, then flew out of the arena, hiding a smirk of her own as he watched her fly off.

With a sigh, King Vegeta turned his attention to Maaya, who was already getting into a fighting stance, as the audience and walls of the arena got larger and larger, to the point where they were just monoliths in the distance. "So, how do you want this, human? Slow and painful? Or quick and painful?" he asked, cracking his knuckles casually.

Maaya responded by calling as much energy to her as she could, and rising up into the air. She knew he was more powerful than she was…. so she would have to fight smart.

King Vegeta smirked. "Slow and painful, then," he said, making a quarter of a turn to face her, still standing with his arms crossed, unconcerned with whatever attack she was about to make. She talked big, but she was still human, and King Vegeta doubted she was more than just talk.

That was, until she placed her hands on either side of her face, her fingers spread apart, and she yelled "SOLAR FLARE!"

"GAH!" King Vegeta cried out, as his retinas were blinded. How the hell did he fall for such a simple trick?

Just then, instinct demanded he step out of the way as what felt like a hot, concentrated beam of energy grazed his cheek. Instantly, his brain clicked into action, and soon he was behind the girl, holding back as much as possible as he sent her flying towards the hard ground. Desperately he tried to clear his vision, but just as he noticed he never heard her hit the ground, he received a powerful punch across the face, followed by a barrage of punches and kicks that made the king quickly realize this was no ordinary human. It was as though he were fighting a member of the EDS.

But then… he was much more powerful than even the strongest member of the EDS.

Relying on instincts to block her strikes, King Vegeta waited for his eyesight to return before making an attack; if only to keep from accidentally killing the girl. Once it had, however, and he saw the look of pure determination in her eyes, he smirked… then punched her in the face, sending her hurtling back down to the ground.

Once again, she caught herself before hitting the ground, and propelled herself toward him with great speed. Yes…., Vegeta thought, and soon began to hurtle himself towards her as well. She had gone through all the trouble of catching him off guard… the least he could do was make this battle interesting. In seconds, their punches connected; Vegeta hadn't bothered to block hers, which hit him full across the face, and his had met her chest, breaking a few of her ribs. Tears filled the girl's eyes, but she still threw attack after attack at him, knowing it was only a matter of time before she was taken out, and wanting to get as much damage done as she could. However, Vegeta inevitably slammed the side of his fist onto the top of her head, and she went plummeting to the ground once more.

And this time, she hit the ground with a loud crash.

Vegeta lightly landed near where the girl was lying, broken and bleeding, convinced the fight was now over. Until…

Until her swollen eyes began to open, and she started to pull herself up, the fiery determination in her eyes something he had seen in only one other…

Kakarot.

Somehow, despite being broken to the extent that she was, the girl managed to pull herself up. King Vegeta could feel her gathering her energy for one more attack. He smirked. "If you attack me again, I don't know if I can keep from killing you this time," he taunted her. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

The girl's lip was swollen, but still she managed to say, "I… promised… to fight… with everything."

And then, her hands went to her side. "Ka….."

Vegeta's eyes widened.

"Me…."

"Ha…."

"Me…."

It was Kakarot's attack, the one he'd learned from the humans. So… this girl was trained by the same humans who had taught Kakarot, was she? Too bad she wasn't a Saiyan… this might have been a decent fight.

"HAAAAAAA!"

With ease, King Vegeta held out his hands, blocking the energy attack, but the girl kept pouring more in. Even though it looked like she might fall over any moment, she kept pouring more and more power into her attack, likely draining her very life force to do it. Vegeta knew, if he pushed this attack back at her, it would kill her instantly. Instead, with great force he propelled it upwards, sending it to disappear into the sky above them, before sending a hard punch to her stomach, followed by a strategic crack to the back of her skull.

With that, the human Maaya was out like a light.

When they returned to normal size, King Vegeta picked up the girl by the back of her uniform, and handed her limp body to Turles, who was the first to appear in the arena. "Regeneration tank. Now. See that she survives," he commanded.

Turles raised an eyebrow, regarding the burn across Vegeta's cheek. "Caught you by surprise, Sire?" he asked, living life dangerously for a moment.

Vegeta merely turned away. "Don't underestimate the humans," he said simply, then walked away.

Turles's eyes were wide, and he looked down at the bleeding girl in his arms. She had earned a modicum of respect from the Saiyan King. Which meant that, if Turles let her die, he wouldn't be able to bring the news to Vegeta and live. Not that Turles tended to let his patient die… unless he was interrogating them, anyway. The medic smirked, and used instant transmission to get the girl into his infirmary and into the recently vacated regeneration tank…

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Android 15 gently laid Maca on the table, as Android 14, Lapis, and Lazuli stood nearby, looking on. Dr. Gero hovered over the girl, her fingers delicately re-aligning the bones of her neck. Once they were set correctly, the purple-haired doctor glanced up at a shadowy figure in the corner. "Android 12. Bring me a human," she said, noticing how Lapis and Lazuli tensed. "From outside," she added, as if in afterthought, turning her attention back to Android 15. "What happened to her?" she asked, eyes narrowed.

Android 15 blinked behind his sunglasses. "Android 13 was damaged before we arrived. Android 12's memory files indicated a human was with her. His memory files also indicated this human was really the Saiyan known as Kakarot," he said.

Dr. Gero frowned at that. "A human was also a Saiyan? Were the memory files corrupted?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

"No data corruption," Android 15 responded.

"I don't get it, doc. If the guy was a Saiyan, why would he hurt one of his own?" he asked.

Dr. Gero huffed at that. "Those Saiyans are barbarians. I should _never_ have left Android 13 in their care. I had hoped she'd use her proximity to feed off one of them, but…" she shook her head, looking at the readout on the computer screen mounted at the end of the table. "She's starved, it's like she's been slowly starving to death. She hasn't even been feeding off of humans…" she said worriedly, as the door opened. Android 12 was holding a woman in high heels and a fur coat, she was struggling to get away from him, but he looked forward coldly, his eyes meeting Dr. Gero's.

Dr. Gero smiled. "Very good, Android 12, bring her here, and hold out her arm towards me," she said, as Android 12 did just that.

"What the hell is this… unhand me at once! Do you have _any_ idea who I am?!" the woman protested as Dr. Gero used her free hand to pick up a small scalpel on the tray next to her.

Lazuli smirked, and Lapis snickered. "Yeah. _Lunch_ ," he said, pulling himself up to sit on a nearby table, swinging his legs off the side. His sister rolled her eyes, and punched him in the thigh. "What was _that_ for? I'm _right_ , aren't I?" Lapis protested.

Dr. Gero gave him a patient smile. "Yes, you are, Lapis," she said softly as she sliced the ends of the woman's fingers, causing her to cry out. As blood began to pool and drip from her fingertips, Dr. Gero guided the woman's hand to the little girl's slightly open mouth. "Hold her still, Android 12," she instructed, easing the woman's fingers into Maca's mouth. "Come on, Android 13. _Survive_. That's what you were _made for_ ," she said, holding her breath in anticipation, watching the girl for any sign of movement, any sign of life…

And then….

The woman's hand began to shrivel, and she began to scream even louder.

Lapis and Lazuli's eyes widened as they watched the woman's arm begin to shrivel, and soon Dr. Gero removed her hands from the girl's neck, smiling as the girl put out a hand on the woman's midsection, the cloth burning away beneath her hand, as the woman's body began to shrivel there as well. Soon enough the screams were silenced, and moments after that, all that was left was a pile of expensive clothes, and a wide-eyed Saiyan girl, gazing around her.

"Whoah! That was _sick_!" Lapis exclaimed excitedly. His sister was suddenly nowhere to be found.

Ignoring the boy, Dr. Gero beamed at Maca. "Android 13. You must have so many questions," she said, as the girl slowly stood up, holding the back of her neck, experimentally stretching it by tilting her head to either side.

"What… happened?" she asked sluggishly, still pretty tired, but feeling better than she had. "Where am I? Who are-" Maca blinked, looking at the scientist with the curly purple hair. That feeling she'd had, with Twelve… it was stronger now, she could feel every part of her resonating with it, almost like the very air was electric. And… there was more…. like she knew something, something she wasn't sure how she knew, but…

Her eyes widened. " _You're_ …" Every cell in her body tingled in anticipation, as if waiting for something, a sign, before doing something drastic…

"I'm your creator, Android 13," the purple-haired scientist said, slowly smirking as she recognized the protocols that were taking effect. Her eyes twinkled as she said the key words. "I'm Dr. Gero."

Maca drew in a breath as something changed in her. Not just in her body, but in her mind, as well. When she tried to figure out what it was, the words that sprang to mind were _voice activation_ , even though she had no idea what that meant. Her instincts told her it was dangerous, but the sinking in her stomach told her it was also too late to do anything about it. She swallowed dryly. "What did you just do to me?" she asked, dreading the answer.

Dr. Gero merely smiled. "Come sit back up on the table, Android 13," she said, readying her instruments.

Maca's instinct was to ask why, but she found herself sitting on the table anyway. She frowned, and tried to get up…

But she couldn't.

"You're trying to disobey me, aren't you, Android 13?" Dr. Gero asked, running an instrument over Maca. "An interesting phenomena, only one of my previous androids ever tried that, Android 12, and he was met with intense pain. How do you feel?" she asked, concern in her voice.

Maca scowled. " _Pissed_ ," she replied flatly.

"But not in pain, I trust?" Dr. Gero asked, raising an eyebrow. "Your vital signs are poor," she said, frowning. "You should know, Thirteen, it is not my intention to make you a prisoner. Protocol 1-A is meant for your protection, as well as mine and everyone else's. It doesn't hold you to unreasonable commands in my absence, and it doesn't make you a mindless automaton like some common robot. Human fighters, and I assume Saiyan fighters as well, lose precious seconds in battle deciding whether or not to follow orders. I've merely taken that factor out of the equation. Additionally, in my early years, I had some failed androids who became a danger to everyone, and taking them out before they hurt anyone was incredibly difficult. I have since then installed certain precautions in all of my androids, including, but not limited to, the protocol you are now experiencing," she said, as she continued her scans.

It was bullshit, Maca thought, but knew better than to voice such an opinion… after all, Dr. Gero basically had her by the tail. And what did Ruta always teach her about her tail? To train it, to make it tougher, by grabbing and squeezing it, over and over, increasing her threshold of pain. And so, Maca took this opportunity to keep trying to get off the table, as she spoke, trying to keep the strain out of her voice. "You said Android 12 tried to disobey you? Is that why he and my asshole brother Kakarot are friends?" she asked, still not managing to move an inch.

Dr. Gero smiled patiently at her. "I believe the human I made Android 12 out of, and this Kakarot, knew each other. I understand Kakarot was the last one with you before Fourteen and Fifteen found you. Am I to understand, then, that he is the one who broke your neck, Thirteen?" she asked.

"Yeah," Maca said, trying with all her might to get off the table. She couldn't get any of her muscles to respond, not even her energy would come to her aid. It was like she was paralyzed, except she was sitting up. "He thought he could get away with it since we were outside the Ox Kingdom. He makes a show of wanting Raditz to be head of the household, but when it comes to actually following orders, he just does whatever the hell he wants," she said bitterly.

Dr. Gero cocked her head at Maca. "Thirteen… why didn't you just absorb him? You had physical contact with him. I know you must have been starving… you're still intensely underfed," she said, frowning at the readout on her instrument. "You've barely kept yourself functional, it's causing some of your organs to _atrophy_ ," she said in concern.

Maca blinked at that. "It was against the rules. I wasn't supposed to eat anyone, human or otherwise, unless I was ordered to. Uncle Turles and Queen Bulma were working on a cure or something…"

"A _cure_?" Dr. Gero asked, eyebrow raised. "They thought they could…. Thirteen, your very _cells_ are designed to acquire energy and mass by absorbing others. They could no more cure you of that than they could cure a _tree_ of needing _water_! They wanted to pretend you were a Saiyan, and if you died from it, then that was one more victim of the _evil humans_ , wasn't it?" she spat angrily. "Stupid barbarians." Suddenly she turned her gaze back to Maca. "Wait. These rules…. you were following them, even though they meant your death. Why?" she asked, concerned.

Maca shrugged, having ceased her attempts to get off the table. They were making her even more tired. "Rules make things make sense. Besides, if I went around killing any humans, Kakarot would have killed me. Though… I guess he did that, anyway," she said, scowling.

"And… what about other Saiyans?" Dr. Gero asked, inwardly holding her breath for the answer.

Maca blinked. "Ruta told me not to. Right at the beginning, she said, never ever kill our own kind. That if I did that, I would be a monster, and she'd be forced to kill me," she said.

"Thirteen… you wouldn't have survived this long if you hadn't absorbed someone stronger than a human. To tell you the truth, I had assumed you would absorb your mother, as you were created to, but my sources told me they cut you out of her womb. So… how did you attain your second form?" she asked, looking the girl over.

Maca yawned, unable to suppress it. "This big blue alien named Zarbon. During the attack, I absorbed him, he was pretty strong. The next day, I looked like this," she said, gesturing to herself. "I'm tired…" she said softly, feeling her eyelids grow heavy.

"You're exhausted and malnourished. I want you to absorb two more people, then l have a special table set up for you, where you can rest and download information," she said, gently stroking Maca's cheek. "And then, I believe Lazuli and Lapis have something planned to welcome you to your new home. And you _are home_ , Thirteen. You don't have to follow the rules the Saiyans held you to. Now, your only rules, are my rules. And, unlike those barbaric Saiyans, _I_ only have your best interests in mind," the scientist said, and smiled before moving her hand. "You can get up now. Android 12 will bring you two more humans, and then you can get some rest. You don't have to worry about Android 12's loyalties… he doesn't remember anything prior to a few moments after he left you in the hands of that _Kakarot_. And, believe me… when the time comes, you will have the opportunity to absorb him. And when that opportunity comes, Thirteen…" she said, scowling, "I _order_ you to absorb him, without any hesitation. Do you understand?" she asked.

She felt the order sink into every part of her, and heard her voice as though it belonged to someone else. "Yes, Dr. Gero," she said. Truthfully, she wasn't too upset at having to follow _that_ order. As Android 12 brought in another screaming human, still staring forward with that vacant look, and Maca relished in the feeling of another's life force running through her veins, she began to admit to herself that, being robbed of her free will aside, at least things were finally starting to make sense…


	18. Broly vs Saru

**A/N:** _ **I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack!**_

 **Okay, guys, lot's happened, won't bore you with the details, but now we're up and running! Keep in mind that the Broly portrayed here pre-dates the new movie (which I have not seen… no spoilers!). Also, I would like to remind everyone that many of the characters in this story were created by my beloved readers, and while they were given to me to write into the story in whatever way makes sense, I have done my best to keep them true to what their creators intended.**

 **The transformation you will see in this fic by Saru was inspired by DragonBallGaiden's artwork on DeviantArt, the Hitozaru. While I may not be strictly adhering to his/her artwork, and this version may not be what he/she intended, if DragonBallGaiden is reading this chapter (and any others referring to this form), I hope they at least get enjoyment from it.**

 **And, on with the show!**

Olive wandered into Turles's infirmary hesitantly. She didn't really like this place… Turles and Dr. Zohan were trying to undo whatever the North City scientists had done to make them be born without tails, which meant that she and the other hybrids had been summoned here more than once to give samples and have tests run on them. It didn't bother the other hybrids, and really, it shouldn't bother her so much, as they were all used to being poked and prodded by the human scientists who created them. But, to Olive, it felt like…

It felt like nothing had really changed. And that feeling, was something she despised to her very core…

Noticing that Turles and Zohan seemed to be absent, Olive breathed a sigh of relief and made her way to one of the regeneration tanks. It still amazed her that it could heal someone so close to death, so quickly. Floating inside it was a massive amount of spiky black hair, surrounding a girl only a foot taller than she was.

And suddenly, the girl's eyes opened.

Olive's eyes went wide as the machine began to beep, then the fluid started to drain, leaving the girl standing inside, dripping wet, wearing a face mask and nothing else. Blushing, Olive glanced around for Ruta's armor, just as the doors to the regeneration tank opened. Finding it, she quickly handed it to her friend, who had removed her face mask, and was trying to wring all the water out of her hair.

"Are… are you okay? How are you feeling?" Olive asked, eyes wide as she handed Ruta her armor.

Ruta popped her neck, and stretched. "Cold and wet. And stiff. How long was I in there?" she asked, her mind still a bit of a jumble.

Olive frowned. "Not that long. Tournament's still on, it's the semifinals. Zucchi just got done kicking Brusl's ass," she said, shrugging. "Chao's fighting Legu now."

Ruta's eyes widened. "Chao made it to the semifinals?" she asked, scowling. "And I got my ass handed to me. Who'd she fight last time?" she asked.

Olive smirked. "Tato," she responded, causing Ruta's eyes to widen again. "Chao's a badass for a human," she said.

Just then, they could hear the audience getting really loud. Sharing a look with Olive, Ruta quickly pulled her armor on, and they rushed outside the infirmary, gazing up at the display above the arena. Chao and Legu both looked rather winded, and were circling each other warily. They could hear the audience calling out, and it seemed there was equal support for both fighters. Olive side-stepped a bone being thrown into the arena, one of many the audience was throwing. From the tension around them, Olive wondered if the audience would start fighting each other.

Suddenly, the Saiyan hybrid charged at Chao, and the two were trading a flurry of punches and kicks, before a ki-enveloped punch sent Chao to the ground. Dazed, the young woman stood up, just in time to block an energy attack from Legu. Chao planted her feet and held her ground, but Legu was not letting up, and an extra burst of power later, Chao was down, out cold. The audience went crazy, and when the fighters returned to normal size, Turles met Legu in the ring to check Chao's vital signs, then lifted her up and carried her to the infirmary, where the girls were standing.

Ruta gazed at Chao's unconscious form, smirking appreciatively. Turles grunted as he passed them, placing Chao in the regeneration tank Ruta had just climbed out of. "I'm busy, Ruta, what do you want?" Turles asked, when the girls remained.

"Will Chao be stronger when she comes out of there?" she asked, curiously as Turles put the breathing mask on Chao before closing the doors and pressing the button to fill the tank with liquid.

Turles raised an eyebrow at that. "Chao's human. They don't bounce back like we do. She'll get stronger eventually, but it won't be quick, and will take a lot of work on her part," he said, then turned and scowled at the girl. "Now, why don't you ask what you really wanted to ask, and stop wasting my time?" he suggested darkly.

Ruta scowled, then spoke. "That cure that you and the queen were talking about, for Maca… how close were you to finding it?" she asked.

Turles paused, shooting her a sly glance. "Why does it matter? She's dead. At the hands of a _human_ ," he said distastefully, as if it were her tail Maca lost, instead of her life. Which, to a Saiyan, was even _worse_ than death.

Ruta's scowl deepened. "Yeah. And? The human you just put into the regen tank, didn't she send a Saiyan in here earlier? Tato, wasn't it?" she asked, arms crossed.

Turles smirked. "Good point," he said, adjusting the settings on the tank. "Still doesn't matter. But, since you won't shut up about it…" he said, turning to her, "we were working on a self-sustaining energy unit. The queen can tell you more about it than I can, all I was involved with was making it compatible with organic tissue. As far as how close she was, I can tell you she was frustrated, and bugged me a lot for something stronger than caffeine," he said with a sigh. "It's a shame, too. I almost had the artificial flesh thing down. Now I have to scrap the whole project. Unless…" he narrowed his eyes, "there's some reason I should continue it?"

Ruta shared a glance with Olive, then stepped close to Turles, eyes on his. Her stance and intention was clear. Turles looked her over critically, then placed a hand on her forehead, finding her mental shields down.

Seconds later, he withdrew his hand, smirking. "Yeah… didn't think she'd go down that easy…" he said, a light in his eyes. Ruta scowled, and Turles rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, brat, secret's safe with me. I'll keep working on my end, but from the sound of it, she's already in the hands of experts."

"I don't trust them," Ruta replied.

Turles smirked at that. "There you go using that word again. Trust shouldn't be one-size-fits-all. Trust them to do what's in her best interest… and _theirs_. As long as those two goals coincide, you can 'trust' them. The moment it stops being in their best interest, that's when you've got a problem. The truth is, kid, everyone's out for themselves. Understand that, and understand what people's motives are, and you won't be surprised," he said.

Ruta grunted at that. "Maybe. But even so… Mama always said to have a plan B."

Turles's smirk grew. "Smart woman, your mama. Fine. Now get out of here, both of you, I've got work to do," he said gruffly, and the two girls left the infirmary.

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"Ladies and gentleme- what?" the queen's voice came on the loudspeaker, but was interrupted by someone talking to her off to the side. "It's customary to do it that way… _fine_ … Okay, people, I've been told that calling some of you _gentlemen_ is somewhat offensive, so, whatever. Ladies, gentlemen, and _hardcore badasses with their panties in a bunch,_ it's time for our next fight! We've got High Priest Saru, who's done spectacularly well in all of his fights this far, versus Prince Tarble's royal guard, Broly!" she said, and the roar of the crowd was deafening.

Inside the arena, the priest, still preferring his ornate robes over any kind of armor, and the always-armored Broly, stood facing each other as they were miniaturized and the arena disappeared into the horizon. Saru raised an eyebrow at the young man. "Have you been learning to control that great power within you, young one?" he asked, cracking his neck.

Broly nodded solemnly. "Kakarot's been training me. Don't worry, I have full control. Of course, that doesn't mean I won't still take you down," he said softly, only a hint of danger in his voice.

Saru smirked at that. "You are, indeed, powerful, the Super Saiyan of legend, the prophesied one. But before prophecy, there was ancient power. Today you will taste of what came _before_ ," he said, and began to remove his robes, leaving himself completely naked. "So, for now, forget your training. If you are going to take me on, you need to relinquish all control, and fight me as the mindless beast bent on wonton destruction that you truly are," and suddenly, a deep growl tore from within him.

Broly's eyes widened at the strange power he was feeling. It was… something _primal_ , something that called to his very _bones_ …

On the balcony, King Vegeta looked up at the display. "What… is _this?_ " he asked, eyes narrowed. It seemed as if the old priest had been holding out on them…

Bulma was beside him, eyes wide. "Why's he taking off his clothes?! Is… is he turning oozaru? But, there's no moon…"

Saru called to his very blood, as he had for centuries, and felt it began to heat. His heart began to beat, faster, and faster, as the call of the mighty oozaru roared within him. He did not grow larger, however, but fur began to sprout all over his body, except for his hands, feet, and face. His hair became longer and more unruly, his brow began to protrude, and his eyes began to glow the deep red of the oozaru. And, his power level….

His power level was _enormous…_

Saru opened his mouth and a mighty roar came from within him. In seconds, his hand was behind Broly's head, planting his face into the ground.

Broly, who had been taken off-guard by Saru's transformation, lowered his restraints, and allowed the anger of the beating he was receiving to take over him. Soon the light around them seemed to turn green, and he cried out as he allowed his power to take over him, transforming him into the legendary Super Saiyan. His eyes glowed with raw power, and he threw Saru off of him, roaring as he flew toward his attacker with a vengeance.

Saru was not to be outdone, however. He stood his ground, waiting for Broly to come to him, then opened his mouth in another roar as pure energy ripped from within him, and his mouth became a weapon of destruction. Broly was knocked back a few feet by the energy beam, but stood his ground. Saru, however, had no intention of merely holding Broly at bay, and leaped at the Super Saiyan, sinking his now much sharper teeth deep into Broly's shoulder, just below the neck. Broly cried out, flinging Saru off of him, but reached up to find he was bleeding quite profusely. Saru had literally torn off a chunk of his flesh… and was _eating it!_ Incensed, he flew at Saru again, roaring in rage, and the priest-turned-primate flashed bloody teeth at the oncoming Super Saiyan, grabbing him by the shoulders and pounding his own head into Broly's, over and over, causing the younger man to stumble a bit. His mouth opened, and an energy attack came straight from his mouth again, directly into Broly's face, knocking the Super Saiyan back several feet.

Then, Saru began to power up… a primal roar erupted from him, and his power pushed everything near him away, including Broly, who was still losing quite a bit of blood from his shoulder. Saru's hair lengthened, his brow protruded even more, his red eyes glowed, his teeth sharpened, and soon he was coming after Broly faster than before. Broly knocked him away each time he came, but each time Saru just got faster and faster, until suddenly Saru's foot was on Broly's neck, and he ripped Broly's armor chestplate in half. Instinctively realizing Saru would bite into him again, Broly tried to roll, reaching for something to grab, and managed to roll out from under the bloodthirsty priest just as he felt fangs sink into the soft flesh of his side. Saru clamped down with his jaws, somehow withstanding the many blows Broly sent crashing into his head, and when the Super Saiyan was finally able to get the priest off of him, Saru had torn another chunk out of his flesh.

Broly was starting to feel the effects of blood loss.

With a deafening roar of anger, he came after Saru again, but his actions were a bit slower this time, and it seemed Saru was becoming even more powerful. Broly threw punch after punch at Saru, but only some of them connected. Desperate to bring the now faster saiyan closer, Broly reached out and grabbed for what turned out to be Saru's tail. Saru roared out at the pain from him already mangled tail. His fists doubled up and knocked Broly back and forth before he could get his guard up. Even when Broly was able to push Saru away with his energy, it was never for long, and at one point, Saru dodged Broly's slow attack, and leaped on him, sinking his teeth into Broly's throat. Broly, who was already woozy from blood loss, started to realize that, if Saru continued what he was doing, he would most likely die. Saru growled, his teeth still in Broly's throat, and the growl touched something primal within Broly, and he instinctively knew what he meant.

Saru cared more about strength than he did about the rules of this tournament. It was a sentiment shared by most of the Saiyans. Saru's ultimatum was clear; give up, or die. Broly might be able to use his energy to blow them both to smithereens, but in the end, the result would be the same. He had lost.

Broly powered down, his hair turning black once more, but Saru didn't budge, growling again. "I yield," Broly rasped out, and then, Saru released him, wiping blood from his mouth as he began to transform into the supposedly mild-mannered priest.

The man kneeled over where Broly lay on the ground, and said, "You were thinking too much. Saiyan instincts are already geared towards survival, you don't need to think to survive. You just need to _act_ , and deal with the consequences later," he said.

Broly blinked, his breath becoming more shallow, as he was still bleeding profusely on the ground. "Would you have killed me, if I didn't yield?" he asked.

Saru smirked. "Without a doubt," he said. He shrugged. "King Vegeta would probably have had my head, but in battle, none of that matters. All that matters is taking down your opponent, consequences be damned," he said, then held out a hand. "Come on, let's get you to Turles, before you bleed out," he said gruffly, and Broly accepted the hand up, but insisted on limping his way to the infirmary on his own, head down in shame.

Saru put his robe back on, ignoring the very silent crowd, which was now normal size again, and flew out of the arena.

Up on the balcony, Vegeta regarded Saru with narrowed eyes. The priest had defeated _Broly_ with that form. Sure, the boy was young and inexperienced, but by power alone, he rivaled even Kakarot. It seemed that, perhaps, his battle with Kakarot might not be the biggest challenge awaiting him in this tournament.

He smirked.

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'Sammy Black' watched Broly limp out of the arena with only passing interest. This part of the tournament was ancient history to him, after all. He turned his gaze back to where Kakarot was standing on the sidelines. Now… now it was time to put right old wrongs. Now he would find out why his father threw away everything, why he ruined the lives of so many. And, with any luck, Kakarot would prove himself the monster he knew him to be, and he could finally kill the bastard with good conscience.

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A badly beaten man, wearing a torn brown fighting gi and an afro caked with blood and sweat, slowly made his way through the woods, leaning against tree after tree, his eyes narrowed in determination, his breathing heavy. Blood seeped through many of his bandages, a fact which was studiously ignored by the man, intent as he was on reaching his destination. So intent was he, that a strange little girl appearing next to a tree on his right completely escaped his notice for a full five minutes, as she merely watched him with almond-shaped silver eyes.

When he did finally notice her, he stopped, wondering for a moment if she were a hallucination.

"…Sadala?" he asked finally, pulling the name from his not-so-stellar memory. Hope sparked in his eyes. "Did Yamcha send you?" he asked.

The girl with feathers braided into her black hair gave a single shake of her head, her eyes piercing and solemn, as they always were.

The man's jaw set. "You have to get back, then. Warn King Vegeta, he's in danger. The man who looks like me, he's not me," he insisted.

The girl was silent for a long moment, before she spoke. "Ruta found Maca's body," she said, finally.

The man scowled. "I know," he said softly. "I saw the explosion where the Turtle Hermit camp was."

Sadala's eyes gazed into his. "She does not yet know your sin," she said. "She believes a human killed her sister."

The man met her gaze head-on. "I did what I had to," he said, not knowing how she knew what had happened, but not caring. Kakarot was never one to hide from anything, particularly not the truth.

"To protect your people?" Sadala asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yes," Kakarot replied, not missing a beat.

"Who are they?" the girl asked, watching him closely. At Kakarot's look of confusion, she cocked her head. "Your people? Who are they?" she clarified.

Kakarot frowned, his scowl deepening. "The people of this planet are my people, Sadala. Both Saiyans, and humans. I know what you're getting at, but I ain't choosing one side over the other. We all need each other, and we're all the same, whether we got tails or not," he told her, in no uncertain terms.

"Except for Maca?" she asked, her gaze never wavering.

Sadala's words hit Kakarot like a fist to the chest, but still, his eyes never left hers. "I won't apologize for what I did," he said. "I need your help, Sadala. I have to get to King Vegeta," he insisted.

Sadala was silent for a long moment, then held out a small hand, palm up. "King Vegeta is not the one in danger," she said. "The darkness is coming, Kakarot. Your father's voice calls its name from the grave. But first… you must fight a monster of your own making," she said, as the large bleeding human took her hand. She pressed two fingers to her forehead, and the two of them were gone in an instant.

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	19. Sammy Black VS Kakarot

**A/N: I love you guys, you just don't even know… (cries a little)**

'Sammy Black' stepped into the middle of the arena, glancing up not at the obsidian tower behind him where the saiyan king watched, but at the stone tower in front of him, where he knew his grandfather was watching him. Not that the older Ox King would know who he really was… but still, it made him feel a little at home.

Then _Kakarot_ stepped into the arena.

Desperately, 'Sammy Black' tried to hold back the unrelenting rage this man invoked within him. It wouldn't do to get kicked out of the Tournament before he had a chance to carry out his mission. He heard the queen finish her announcements, and blatantly ignored the cheering of the crowd, or the booing when his assumed alias was called; it was mostly the saiyans doing it, though he was surprised to see some of the Ox King's people doing it as well. Must be that nasty stuff Baga had put on him to hide his scent. And, of course, he hadn't exactly chosen an upstanding member of their community to impersonate; someone who cheated in a Tournament couldn't have been that great of a guy in other aspects of his life. Truthfully, he'd boo at himself, too.

When the audience became giants, and then merely part of the horizon, 'Sammy Black' turned to Kakarot, who was smirking at him. "Don't think that foul stench can help your chances against me, human. I've dealt with far worse," he sneered.

Half a second later, 'Sammy Black's fist was in his stomach, and he was doubled over, gasping for air. "That foul stench was just a trick to get me close enough," he said, and sent a powerful knee to Kakarot's face, knocking him back.

As Kakarot took a second to right himself, his opponent removed his outer cloak, revealing black and red armor, a scarred visage, and black spiky hair. Kakarot's eyes narrowed. "You're no human…. You're a saiyan, aren't you?" he accused, getting into a fighting stance.

"I'm the Ox King, the grandson of the current Ox King, from the future," his opponent replied coldly. "I stopped claiming my saiyan heritage the day I stopped using the name you gave me… _father_ ," he said, fists clenched.

Kakarot blinked for a moment, then began to laugh. A dark, menacing laugh, the kind the Ox King had always imagined he'd have. "Father, huh? You're supposed to be my son… from the future? Surely you don't expect me to believe that crap," he said sarcastically as he flew at the Ox King, throwing punches and kicks, most of which were dodged, all of which were blocked. He scowled, backing away to catch his breath for the moment. "You're pretty fast, but I'm the strongest saiyan on this planet, runt! I'm even stronger than King Vegeta!"

The Ox King narrowed his eyes. "Is that why you're planning to kill him during the Tournament?" he asked, his voice cold.

Kakarot's eyes went wide. "How the hell did you…? Well, no matter, it'll all be over soon. As to why, it's Saiyan tradition, isn't it? The strongest leads? King of the Saiyans, don't sound too bad to me," he laughed.

The Ox King blinked. He… hadn't expected his father had been so _stupid._ "Yeah, except you can't challenge the king. You're his royal guard. Even if you succeeded at killing King Vegeta, you'd just be executed or banished for being a traitor. I mean, you watch the man in his sleep, it's the world's most severe handicap. No one would respect you, much less a _saiyan_ ," he said, and in an instant, kicked Kakarot so hard in the face, he was flung back ten feet. "Not even your own son."

Kakarot was on his feet in seconds, glaring at his opponent. "What do you mean, _if I succeeded_?" he growled, stalling for time as he formulated a plan.

The Ox King raised an eyebrow. "Oh, didn't I mention? I'm going to kill you. In fact… I've been waiting for this moment, my whole life," he said darkly, and cried out as power surged from within him.

What happened next was… was more than the super saiyan transformation Kakarot had seen before. It was much more powerful, more intense… and those eyes….

Knowing what was coming next, 'Kakarot' powered up as much as he could, willing every ounce of power to come forth from this saiyan body, but…. He still couldn't trigger it. It was frustrating… he knew this was the strongest saiyan on the planet, from hearing others talk, but this super saiyan transformation seemed to be beyond him. He'd practiced in the forest for days, trying to unlock it, but couldn't understand the secret. It was as though the body itself was rebelling against him. It was too bad he'd killed the fool who had originally inhabited it, he could really use some information….

His instincts screamed at him to dodge, and he did so, barely avoiding a blast which surely would have meant his death. There was only one thing to do. He had to get his opponent talking again…

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Saru made his way through the crowd, looking for his apprentice. Once he spotted him, down by the hot baths, he quickly navigated his way there. Maiz was holding a metal bowl filled with blood. Saru nodded appreciatively. "Did you bring the oil as well?" he asked.

"Sadala's bringing it," he said.

Saru nodded. "Now all we need is the soul," he said grimly.

"Sadala brought that, too," a young girl's voice said, and she stepped forward out of the shadows with a badly wounded human in a tattered brown gi.

Saru looked into the human's eyes. "Kakarot?" he asked.

The man gave a nod. "Tell me the King's been warned," he said, getting right down to business.

Maiz grunted at that. "Not yet. But not to worry, your body's currently got its hands full," he said, and the human looked up at the display above them.

He frowned. "Who am I… who is _he_ fighting?" the human asked.

"They said his name was Sammy Black, from the Ox Kingdom," Maiz said dubiously.

"That's no human… look, he's gone super saiyan!" the human said, frowning. "No…not _just_ super saiyan…." His eyes narrowed as he saw the beating his own body was receiving. Then he smirked. "Get me in there, guys… we gotta switch bodies now, before I get creamed! If I'm gonna fight this guy, I'm gonna do it with everything I've got, and this asshole hasn't even gone super saiyan yet!" he said, unable to hide his excitement.

Saru glanced at Sadala, who sighed, and stepped forward, pouring a small vial of some kind of oil into the bowl of blood. Then, she dipped her finger into it, and reaching up, made a mark on the human's forehead.

Saru nodded, and placed one hand on the human's blood-caked afro, and held the other towards the arena. Then he began to chant, in a language the human didn't understand, but which felt vaguely familiar to him at the same time….

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"What the hell is Kakarot doing?" King Vegeta demanded, not for the first time, as he watched the display with narrowed eyes. That his opponent was obviously a saiyan Vegeta hadn't known about didn't faze him… he was obviously another hybrid the humans cooked up. But Kakarot getting his ass handed to him by some random hybrid, that was just infuriating. At first the saiyan king had assumed Kakarot was just testing out the hybrid's strength, but…

"Maybe he's just not taking this seriously?" Bulma asked, frowning as she watched the display. "Kinda rude for Kakarot, though… he's not really what I would call polite, but he doesn't usually go out of his way to make people mad like that…"

Launch cocked her head, holding a sleeping Jicam close to her chest. "Maybe… he's trying to see if he can beat him without going super saiyan?" she asked.

King Vegeta stared at her a moment, then smirked, looking back at the fight. "Yes… that must be it. He's using this tournament as a way to train his body," he said. Still, he had an uneasy feeling about it. The same uneasy feeling he'd had for a while concerning Kakarot.

"Yeah… or he's sick…" Bulma murmured, causing the saiyan king to scowl again.

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"Well, what's the matter, Junior?" Kakarot taunted as he dodged another energy blast. He was out of breath, badly injured, and fighting hard just to dodge this guy's attacks. "Didn't get enough love from daddy? Well, I have news for you…" he said, and jumped to the side, his opponent's energy attack singeing his left arm. "I'm not your father!" he yelled over the sound of exploding rock.

The attack stopped. As the dust began to settle, he could make out the blonde saiyan hovering above him, scowling. " _What_?" he asked, dangerously.

Kakarot took a moment to catch his breath, then smirked. "I said, I'm not your father. I'm not Kakarot," he said. "But I think I know who _you_ are now. Tell me… was your mother Chichi, commander of the EDS?" he asked darkly.

The Ox King narrowed his eyes. "She was," he said. "You know this. What are you playing at, Kakarot? I won't be tricked," he said, holding up a hand towards him, palm out.

'Kakarot' smirked. "She was pregnant, right? With you, if what you say is true, and you really are Kakarot's spawn from the future. She was the one who fought the hardest… when my men raped and killed her," he said sadistically, causing the man's eyes to widen. "I saw the whole thing on my scouter, you know. I still have it. The scouter, I mean. My men recorded it, so I got to watch it over and over, even after you saiyans killed all of my men," he said, smirking.

The Ox King's teeth were clenched, and power whipped around him as his power level grew higher and higher. _Yes…_ now was his chance…

Holding out his arms, Captain Ginyu cried out, "CHANGE N-"

Suddenly, he couldn't speak. He couldn't move. He couldn't do anything; it was like he was being paralyzed by some outside force. And, he could hear chanting, some kind of strange chanting, that made his whole body feel hot, made him tingle all over. Was this some kind of strange attack from his opponent? Why? Why would he resort to this kind of attack when he so clearly overpowered-

Captain Ginyu blinked to find the saiyan priest's hand on his forehead, and to find himself very much out of the center of the arena…

And very much in pain.

"If you move, I will kill you," a little girl said beside him. She seemed unassuming, but there was death in her silver eyes…

And a silver knife blade pressed against his side, just under his ribs…

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Meanwhile, the Ox King's power level was palpable, so much so that the audience in the arena could feel it, and the wind kicked up to the point where those in the front row seats backed up a bit to avoid dust being blown into their faces. Kakarot, the real Kakarot, didn't have time to relish the feeling of finally being back in his own body… this stranger had reached a level much higher than super saiyan, though nothing like what he had ever seen. It was raw power, much like what Broly had when he went all out, but this was darker, more controlled, like…

Like a monster of rage.

Quickly going super saiyan, Kakarot dodged this new onslaught of punches and kicks, as this man came after him with a dark vengeance. It excited Kakarot in a way that only fighting could, and Kakarot took quite a few hits before he got warmed up enough to block some of them. Whoever had been in his body last really didn't know his body well at all, and he felt stiffness in some of the muscles he tended to use frequently when fighting. He let his energy infuse every muscle, every cell of his body, and then, he began to power up.

The Ox King was lost in a haze of mindless rage, and it took quite a while before he even noticed his opponent was finally starting to really fight him. It didn't matter, though… he was going to kill this bastard, he didn't care if he was Kakarot or not. Whoever he was, he was going to die…

"Ka…me…" he heard from the dust below, and flew towards the sound, grabbing Kakarot by the hair and punching him repeatedly in the face.

Blindly, Kakarot tried to get free, then changed tactics, building up his energy within him and opening his mouth to release it in a powerful blast. This got his opponent off of him, though from the smell of it, some of his hair was singed in the process. Spitting the taste of blood and ozone out of his mouth, Kakarot sent a barrage of ki blasts in the general vicinity of his opponent, expecting only some of them to hit the stranger. He kept up the attack, while at the same time allowing the rest of his power to build up inside of him, preparing for the sort of attack he used when training with King Vegeta. More and more of his balls of energy surrounded his opponent, he was almost ready…

Suddenly, he instinctively turned as a fist rammed towards where the back of his head had been. The stranger, who had not fallen for his tactics, continued to attack, pushing him ever towards the minefield Kakarot had created. "You won't fool me that easily, Kakarot, or whoever the hell you are! I will kill you! For my mother, for King Vegeta, for my planet… and mostly, because you made the mistake of looking like my bastard of a father!" he screamed, and with a fist enveloped with ki, drove Kakarot's head down to the ground… and under it….

Desperately, Kakarot released his power, pushing his opponent off of him, his brain working fast to keep up with what was going on as his body reacted by instinct. He was on defense, though, blocking whatever he could, trying to make sense of-

Wait…

Kakarot opened his mouth to speak, but a fist to his face got past his defenses, and he flew backwards, bringing his arms up to block. "Listen! I need you to tell me… who you are…" he yelled as he fought to block his opponent's attacks. An energy blast caught him in the stomach, and he went backwards again, his mind working on an offensive strategy as he defended himself.

His opponent growled. "I told you! I am the Ox King! How dare you say what you did about my mother, and then pretend not to know who I am!" he shouted, sending a powerful kick toward Kakarot's head. Kakarot blocked it, but it was a trap, and another energy blast hit him in the stomach, a stronger one this time, and he was knocked back.

"Look, whoever you were talking to at the beginning of this fight, that wasn't me!" Kakarot tried to explain, but quickly had to block more energy blasts.

"Prince Vegeta wanted you alive, you know," his opponent sneered, firing yet another energy blast at Kakarot, then another. "He thought you could help us, to find a way to stop Dodoria. That was the whole reason we came back to the past. But you know what? I don't _want_ your help. I'd rather die a thousand deaths, I'd rather watch my world crumble to cinders, than to allow you to take one more breath," he snarled.

Kakarot blocked the energy blasts, digging his feet into the ground to do so, and scowled. "I think I know who you are, now," he said, blocking each blast as he gathered energy within himself once again. "It doesn't make any sense, but your energy feels a lot like my son's did when stepped on a splinter in the forest and nearly took down a tree," he said. The energy attacks got more intense, and his feet were pushed further into the ground. "If that's it… if you're my son Gohan, then I want to help you. But first you have to tell me why you're so angry!" he yelled over the energy blasts.

The Ox King cried out in rage at that, and flew straight at Kakarot, taking him by surprise. In seconds, Kakarot was being held by the throat and flown straight into a looming darkness on the horizon. Before he could wonder what was coming, Kakarot felt his body crash into something hard and black. It was the walls of the arena, he realized, as his son drove him deeper into the hard black stone. Kakarot could barely breathe, he knew he would have to act fast, or lose this battle, and from the look in his son's eyes, his life. He threw an energy blast, which sailed past his son's head, and then used both hands to try to loosen his son's grip.

He gazed into Gohan's eyes, and gave him the closest thing to a grin as he could, while slowly being strangled to death.

Then, his eyes turned upwards to a spot beyond his son's head.

The Ox King didn't know what Kakarot was up to, but in seconds, he had to loosen his grip because Kakarot's neck got too big for him to hold onto. "Oh, no you don't!" he yelled, and aimed an energy attack at Kakarot's tail, which had come unwound from his waist during his transformation, but the saiyan was too fast for him, and soon the Ox King was flying into the ground, and a giant golden oozaru was standing over him, picking him up. The giant creature growled at him, but this was not the first oozaru the Ox King had ever faced in battle. Aiming carefully, the Ox King fired an energy blast right into the great beast's left nostril, causing the creature to drop him as it howled in pain, holding its large snout. However, the Ox King didn't account for the oozaru's tail, which swiped at him hard, knocking him directly into the ground.

The last thing the Ox King saw was a giant foot crashing down on him… then everything went black.

 **A/N: Hehe, had to finish that fight off while it was in my head… I'm not the greatest with fight scenes, but I hope I did it justice. For those of you who must know just how Gohan ranks up against others, I'm sorry this fight isn't a very good measure of his abilities. He started off fighting against an opponent who couldn't even go super saiyan, then suddenly found himself fighting a golden oozaru. Plus, there was a lot going on. Is he stronger/as strong as Broly? Yet to be seen. Just know, you haven't seen the extent of Gohan's power, just what he's capable of when he loses his temper. In DBS we see that Gohan's true power lies in strategy, but then, in DBS, he went through a long period of time without training at all. In this story, in his timeline, he spent quite a lot of it defending himself and others from Dodoria, who, if he's to be believed, currently has King Vegeta's head mounted on a stick.**

 **And to my fans who still can't imagine a world in which Dodoria could possibly be a threat, I have two words for you.**

 **Dragon balls.**

 **(evil laughter)**

 **Okay, foreshadowing aside, I would like to thank all of my readers for continuing to read, especially those of you who left me kind reviews, you have no idea, but you really made my night! I was surprised you all didn't give up on me, it means so much to me that you're still around. I'll do my best to keep up with this fic now that I'm not in the middle of R/L's drama. I'm not promising a chapter a night, mind you, but I will churn them out as quickly as I can come up with them.**

 **And, for any who may be wondering, worry not, for we will soon meet again with our friends out in space…**


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